João 12

Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin

João 12

Spurgeon - The other evangelists said “anointed his head.” And they are both right. She anointed his head and his feet. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Lowell

João 12

Spurgeon notes that "It was in the house of Simon the Leper; a near acquaintance, perhaps a relative of this beloved family, for we find that Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. The two families had coalesced for this festival, and well they might, for one case someone had been healed of leprosy, and in the other case Lazarus had been raised from the dead. It was a holy, happy feast." (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Whom Jesus had raised (egeiro) from the dead (nekros) - Lazarus was undoubtedly the "talk of the town," or as we might say today, the one with "celebrity status." And so John rightly reemphasizes the resurrection of Lazarus, but remember that it was not the same as the resurrection of Jesus because Jesus was the first ("first fruits") to be truly resurrected and never die, something not true of Lazarus who would die. As Paul stated "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep...But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming." (1Cor 15:20, 23+). John 11:1+ Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. John 11:43-44+ When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” W Hall Harris III adds this note - "So he may have been dead already by the time the messengers reached Jesus. It may be that Jesus waited longer so that it would be unmistakably clear that a miraculous resurrection, rather than simply a resuscitation, had taken place; but there is nothing in the narrative that implies this was the reason for the delay. Perhaps it is better to understand this simply as an indication that Jesus’ timing was always deliberate and in the will of God." (Exegetical Commentary on John 11) (Bolding added) Raised (1453)(egeiro) means to rise (stand up) from a sitting or lying position (Mt 8:26, 9:5), to awaken from sleep (Mt 8:25), figuratively to "awaken" from death (rise up). Egeiro was used literally also to raise up or lift up a person either sitting or lying down. Figuratively egeiro was used to "raise up" a person from illness, thus restoring them to health. Figuratively as used in Romans 4:24, egeiro describes the bringing back of Jesus from the dead and thus raising Him or causing Him to rise. The idea of wake up from death is conveyed by egeiro because sleep was used as metaphor of death for believers (there is however no "soul sleep"). To raise up to a position as was David in Acts 13:22 (referring to his "promotion" to king). Egeiro - Jn. 2:19 = "“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”; Jn. 2:20; Jn. 2:22; Jn. 5:8; Jn. 5:21; Jn. 7:52; Jn. 11:29; Jn. 12:1; Jn. 12:9; Jn. 12:17; Jn. 13:4; Jn. 14:31; Jn. 21:14 = "This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead." Dead (3498)(nekros) means dead as one who has breathed his last. A dead person, dead body, corpse (Mt 23:27 Rev 20:13 Dt 28:26 Jer 7:33) Frequently used of the spiritual condition of unsaved men (Mt 8:22 Jn 5:25 Ep 2:1,5 5:14 Php 3:11 Col 2:13 Lu 15:24) Spiritual condition of believers in regard to sin (Ro6:11). Gilbrant - Classical Greek - From the time of Homer and following nekros was a common word used to describe persons and animals that had died. It was probably used first as a noun, “dead body,” and then later as an adjective, “dead.” Its early occurrences as an adjective appear from 500 B.C. (cf. Liddell-Scott). A body without life (psuchē [5425]) was just a “corpse, inanimate, mere matter.” However, nekros could also refer to the spirit or “shade” of the dead individual as a “dweller in the netherworld” (Homer Odyssey 10.526; cf. Liddell-Scott). The word’s meaning also extended to include lifeless and inanimate “things” (nekra), such as stone and wood. Figurative uses of nekros also appear in the classical period. Evil men were occasionally described as “dead”; Stoic philosophers picked up the term to describe false teachers as well as their words. Evidently “dead” meant “dying,” or “leading to death,” or perhaps “not life-giving.” Similarly, wealth was said to be dead. Even the body, while still alive, came to be called “dead” in this same sense of “destined to die,” and the soul (psuchē) was referred to as “death-bearing,” because it was considered to be still carrying the body. Septuagint Usage - In the Septuagint nekros is found over 80 times, mostly as a noun but sometimes as an adjective. It usually translates the Hebrew word mûth, “dead person,” but also translates several other words suggestive of deceased persons or corpses. Sometimes the dead are pictured as going to a dark “underworld” (Hades) where there is—at least in relation to the world of the living—no consciousness (Psalms 88:3-12 [LXX 87:3-12]; 115:17 [113:25]; 143:3 [142:3]; Ecclesiastes 9:3-6) and no hope (Ecclesiastes 9:4; Isaiah 26:14). At other times there is the hint that the souls of the dead still exist and may be joined in their “pit” (Ezekiel 32:18-32, cf. 2 Samuel 12:23 [LXX 2 Kings 12:23] and Homer Odyssey 10.526 above) and that there is the possibility (Ezekiel 37:9), and even the hope (Isaiah 26:19, cf. Job 19:26; Daniel 12:2), of a resurrection to life. New Testament Usage - In the New Testament nekros is found some 130 times. It is rarely used literally as an adjective (“dead”), but it occurs over 100 times as a noun in the literal sense. Occasionally it speaks of lifeless bodies which are buried (Matthew 8:22; Acts 5:10; etc.) or which are fit to be buried (Acts 20:9; 28:6; James 2:26; etc.). Most often, however, it is plural—“the dead (ones)”—and is used in the sense of the company of humans who have passed from this life into the next, and from this physical, bodily existence into the unseen realm of spirits, sometimes called Hades (Acts 2:31; Revelation 20:13). In keeping with the more positive view of death in the New Testament, nekros is used over 80 times—almost two-thirds of its total usage—in connection with a resurrection “from” or “of” the dead. About half of these speak of Jesus’ resurrection from “the dead,” and about half speak of the resurrection of others, either individually (Luke 7:15,22; John 12:1,9,17; etc.) or all together (in the general resurrection—Matthew 22:31; Acts 24:15,21; 1 Corinthians 15:12,13,15,16,20,21,29,32,35,42,52; etc.). Not only are “the dead” to be raised, but also they will be judged alongside those who are still living when Christ returns (Acts 10:42; 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5; Revelation 11:18; 20:12,13). Only about one-sixth of the New Testament uses of nekros are figurative. Most of these use “dead” in the moral sense: spiritually dead in sins prior to acceptance of the gospel (Matthew 8:22; Luke 9:60 [first use]; John 5:25; Romans 6:13; 11:15; Ephesians 2:1,5; 5:14; Colossians 2:13) or, in the case of the Prodigal Son, prior to repentance (Luke 15:24,32). Sometimes things are dead or lifeless in the sense of “powerless” or “unproductive”: faith without works (James 2:17,20,26); works without faith (Hebrews 6:1; 9:14); our bodies in the face of death (Romans 8:10). Even sin is said to be dead or powerless when apart from law (Romans 7:8). Similarly, in a good sense, the Christian is to be “dead to sin” (Romans 6:11, i.e., “inanimate toward”) when it comes to committing sin or to feeling its guilt. In Matthew 22:32 (and parallels) Jesus asserted that God is “not the God of the dead, but of the living.” He was speaking of the ultimate lifelessness of nonexistence which the Sadducees imagined for the dead. Paul made it clear that Jesus is in fact “the Lord both of the dead and of the living” (Romans 14:9). (Complete Biblical Library) Friberg - (1) of persons; (a) literally; (i) of human beings and animals no longer physically alive dead, lifeless, deceased (Acts 28.6; Jas 2.26a); (ii) substantivally o` n. dead person (Lk 7.15); oi` nekroi, the dead, dead people (Mk 12.26); (b) figuratively; (i) of persons unable to respond to God because of moral badness or spiritual alienation dead, powerless (Eph 2.1, 5); (ii) of persons regarded as dead because of separation dead (Lk 15.24, 32); (iii) of persons no longer under the control of something dead to (Ro 6.11); (2) of things; literally lifeless (e.g. idols); figuratively, of what is of no benefit morally or spiritually utterly useless, completely ineffective (Heb 6.1; Jas 2.26b) (Borrow Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament) Vine says nekros "is used of (a) the death of the body, cp. Jas. 2:26, its most frequent sense: (b) the actual spiritual condition of unsaved men, Matt. 8:22; John 5:25; Eph. 2:1, 5; Eph. 5:14; Phil. 3:11; Col. 2:13; cp. Luke 15:24: (c) the ideal spiritual condition of believers in regard to sin, Rom. 6:11: (d) a church in declension, inasmuch as in that state it is inactive and barren, Rev. 3:1: (e) sin, which apart from law cannot produce a sense of guilt, Rom. 7:8: (f) the body of the believer in contrast to his spirit, Rom. 8:10: (g) the works of the Law, inasmuch as, however good in themselves, Rom. 7:13, they cannot produce life, Heb. 6:1; Heb. 9:14: (h) the faith that does not produce works, Jas. 2:17, 26; cp. ver. 20. (Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words) Nekros - 128x in 120v - corpse(1), dead(122), dead man(3), dead men(1), dead men's(1). - Matt. 8:22; Matt. 10:8; Matt. 11:5; Matt. 14:2; Matt. 17:9; Matt. 22:31; Matt. 22:32; Matt. 23:27; Matt. 27:64; Matt. 28:4; Matt. 28:7; Mk. 6:14; Mk. 9:9; Mk. 9:10; Mk. 9:26; Mk. 12:25; Mk. 12:26; Mk. 12:27; Lk. 7:15; Lk. 7:22; Lk. 9:7; Lk. 9:60; Lk. 15:24; Lk. 15:32; Lk. 16:30; Lk. 16:31; Lk. 20:35; Lk. 20:37; Lk. 20:38; Lk. 24:5; Lk. 24:46; Jn. 2:22; Jn. 5:21; Jn. 5:25; Jn. 12:1; Jn. 12:9; Jn. 12:17; Jn. 20:9; Jn. 21:14; Acts 3:15; Acts 4:2; Acts 4:10; Acts 5:10; Acts 10:41; Acts 10:42; Acts 13:30; Acts 13:34; Acts 17:3; Acts 17:31; Acts 17:32; Acts 20:9; Acts 23:6; Acts 24:21; Acts 26:8; Acts 26:23; Acts 28:6; Rom. 1:4; Rom. 4:17; Rom. 4:24; Rom. 6:4; Rom. 6:9; Rom. 6:11; Rom. 6:13; Rom. 7:4; Rom. 7:8; Rom. 8:10; Rom. 8:11; Rom. 10:7; Rom. 10:9; Rom. 11:15; Rom. 14:9; 1 Co. 15:12; 1 Co. 15:13; 1 Co. 15:15; 1 Co. 15:16; 1 Co. 15:20; 1 Co. 15:21; 1 Co. 15:29; 1 Co. 15:32; 1 Co. 15:35; 1 Co. 15:42; 1 Co. 15:52; 2 Co. 1:9; Gal. 1:1; Eph. 1:20; Eph. 2:1; Eph. 2:5; Eph. 5:14; Phil. 3:11; Col. 1:18; Col. 2:12; Col. 2:13; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1 Thess. 4:16; 2 Tim. 2:8; 2 Tim. 4:1; Heb. 6:1; Heb. 6:2; Heb. 9:14; Heb. 9:17; Heb. 11:19; Heb. 11:35; Heb. 13:20; Jas. 2:17; Jas. 2:26; 1 Pet. 1:3; 1 Pet. 1:21; 1 Pet. 4:5; 1 Pet. 4:6; Rev. 1:5; Rev. 1:17; Rev. 1:18; Rev. 2:8; Rev. 3:1; Rev. 11:18; Rev. 14:13; Rev. 16:3; Rev. 20:5; Rev. 20:12; Rev. 20:13 Nekros in Septuagint - Gen. 23:3; Gen. 23:4; Gen. 23:6; Gen. 23:8; Gen. 23:11; Gen. 23:13; Gen. 23:15; Lev. 21:5; Num. 19:16; Deut. 14:1; Deut. 18:11; Deut. 28:26; Jdg. 4:22; Jdg. 19:28; 1 Sam. 31:8; 2 Sam. 19:6; 2 Ki. 19:35; 2 Ki. 23:30; 2 Chr. 20:24; Ps. 31:12; Ps. 38:20; Ps. 88:4; Ps. 88:10; Ps. 106:28; Ps. 115:17; Ps. 143:3; Eccl. 9:3; Eccl. 9:4; Eccl. 9:5; Isa. 5:13; Isa. 8:19; Isa. 14:19; Isa. 22:2; Isa. 26:14; Isa. 26:19; Isa. 34:3; Isa. 37:36; Jer. 7:33; Jer. 9:22; Jer. 19:7; Jer. 33:5; Lam. 3:6; Ezek. 9:7; Ezek. 11:6; Ezek. 11:7; Ezek. 32:18; Ezek. 37:9; Related Resources: Passover & Unleavened Bread Leviticus 23 Feast of Unleavened Bread & Day of Pentecost (cp Acts 2) Leviticus 23 Commentary - deals with the Jewish feasts What are the Jewish Festivals? Passover - Wikipedia Should Christians celebrate Passover? Yeshua and the Feast of Unleavened Bread Question - What is the significance of Bethany in the Bible? Answer: Bethany was a village in Judea about two miles east of Jerusalem (John 11:18), a distance considered a “Sabbath day’s journey” (Acts 1:12). Bethany was situated on the well-traveled road to Jericho. Some scholars think Bethany was more like a modern subdivision or a neighborhood rather than an entire town. The edges of Bethany reached to the Mount of Olives and also bordered Bethphage, a suburb of Jerusalem. Bethany is probably best known for being the hometown of Jesus’ good friends, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Bethany was the place where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1, 41–44), it was the home of Simon the leper (Mark 14:3–10), and it was the place where Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume (Matthew 26:6–13). Other references to Bethany are Mark 11:1 and Luke 19:29, which describe the preparations for Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the cursing of the fig tree in Mark 11:11–13, and the place where Jesus stayed overnight during His final week of earthly ministry, between His triumphal entry and His crucifixion (Matthew 21:17). The name Bethany is translated by some to mean “house of figs,” as there are many fig trees and palms in the area; others translate it as “house of misery,” speculating that Bethany was a designated place for the sick and those with contagious diseases. Bethany is also significant as the place near which Christ ascended back into heaven (Luke 24:50). Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus gathered His eleven disciples to give them final instructions before He left the earth (Luke 24:50–51). He took them to the Mount of Olives, in “the vicinity of Bethany” (verse 50), where He blessed them and commissioned them. The Lord was then lifted up into the clouds (Acts 1:9). As the disciples stood staring upwards, two angels appeared to them and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). Bethany has an exciting future prophesied. Zechariah 14:4 says, “On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east.” When Jesus returns to set up His kingdom, it will be to the very place He left: the Mount of Olives near Bethany. Though the ancient town of Bethany may have been small and seemingly insignificant, it will be the scene of a world-changing event: the glorious return of Jesus Christ as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:11–16). (Source: GotQuestions.org) QUESTION - Who was Lazarus in the Bible? ANSWER - There are two men called Lazarus in the Bible. The first Lazarus is the subject of a story told by Jesus (Luke 16:19–31). Lazarus was very poor, probably homeless, and definitely a beggar (Luke 16:20). He often stayed at the gate of a rich man in hopes of getting scraps from his table. Both men died, and Jesus tells of how Lazarus was taken to “Abraham’s side,” a place of comfort and rest, while the rich man went to “Hades,” a place of conscious torment (Luke 16:22–23). Some Bible scholars believe that Jesus was telling a parable, that is, a fictional story not meant to be a literal account. However, Jesus uses actual names in the story, He does not interpret the story, and neither does He add a moral to the end. He lets the story stand for itself. Because of these details, the story of Lazarus and the rich man could be a true account, relating the actual fates of Lazarus and the unbelieving rich man. Either way, Jesus’ teaching on the reality of heaven and hell is clear. The Lazarus in Jesus’ story does not appear anywhere else in the Bible, and we do not know when in the timeline of history he may have lived, if he was a real person. The second Lazarus, also called Lazarus of Bethany, was the brother of Mary and Martha. These three siblings were friends and disciples of Jesus, and they were people Jesus loved (John 11:5). Once, an urgent message came from Bethany to Jesus: His friend Lazarus had become ill, and Mary and Martha wanted Jesus to come and heal him, for he was near death. Jesus then puzzled His disciples and friends. He started by saying that the illness would not lead to death; rather, it would be for God’s glory (John 11:4). Then Jesus stayed two days where He was before suggesting going back to Judea, where Lazarus was but also where Jesus’ enemies had also recently tried to stone Him (John 11:5–8). During Jesus’ delay, Lazarus died, but Jesus referred to Lazarus as “asleep” and told the disciples He was going to wake him up (John 11:11). The disciples responded, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better,” clearly thinking of physical sleep (John 11:12). Then Jesus told them plainly that Lazarus had died, but they were still going to see him (John 11:14). Thomas perfectly expresses the disciples’ confused frustration by saying, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16)—he saw that Jesus was resolute, but knew the dangers of such a trip (John 11:8). When they arrived at Lazarus’ home in Bethany, they found Mary and Martha grief-stricken. They had buried their brother four days earlier. Jesus had not come to help. They were confused and frustrated, but their faith in Jesus was intact (John 11:17–36). Everything became clear when Jesus did the unexpected: He went to Lazarus’ tomb and raised him from the dead (John 11:43–44). The entire episode of Lazarus’ sickness, death, and restoration to life worked toward giving glory to God and increasing the faith of Jesus’ followers, just as Jesus had said when He heard of Lazarus’ illness. Just before He raised Lazarus, Jesus prayed, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me” (John 11:41–42). Jesus’ prayer was answered: Lazarus came back to life, and “many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him” (John 11:45). When Jesus called to Lazarus, Lazarus emerged from the tomb—not a zombie or half-dead or undead, but fully alive and well. Such is the power of Christ. Scripture never records what Lazarus experienced during his four days in the tomb. We assume that his soul/spirit was in paradise, where the other Lazarus was. After Lazarus was raised from the dead, the chief priests and Pharisees plotted to kill him, because so many witnesses to the miracle believed in Jesus (John 12:9–11). The enemies of Christ couldn’t deny the miracle; the next best thing, in their view, was to destroy the evidence—in this case, the evidence was a living, breathing person. But they couldn’t stop the truth from spreading. GotQuestions.org THE SEVEN GREAT FEASTS OF ISRAEL Note that each of the Seven Great Feasts has a specific eschatological (prophetic) fulfillment. The four Spring feasts have been fulfilled at the First Coming of the Messiah. The final three feasts will be fulfilled at the Second Coming of the Messiah when He returns to to establish His Kingdom (cf Lk 17:20ff+, Lk 22:18+) and fulfill God's literal promises to the literal nation of Israel, promises which are summarized by Paul when he wrote "all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” (Ro 11:26+) SPRING FEASTS FALL FEASTS 1st Month = Nisan Festival of Passover (Pesach) 3rd Month = Sivan Feast of Pentecost I N T E R L U D E 7th Month = Tishri Festival of Booths (Tabernacles) (Sukkot) Passover Pesach Unleavened Bread First Fruits Feast of Weeks Feast of Trumpets Day of Atonement Feast of Booths Lamb's blood on Door Ex 12:6-7+ Purging Leaven (Sin) Wave Offering (Promise of Harvest to come) Wave Offering of two loaves of leavened bread (promise of harvest to come) Trumpet Blown - A Holy Convocation Atonement shall be made to cleanse you Lev 16:30+ Celebrates harvest, memorial of God's care in wilderness 1st Month, 14th Day Lev 23:5+ 1st Month, 15th Day Lev 23:6-8+ (1st & 8th are Sabbath) Day after Sabbath Lev 23:9-14+ 50 Days after first fruits Lev 23:14-21+ 7th Month, 1st Day Lev 23:23-25+ (A Sabbath) 7th Month, 10th Day Lev 23:26-32+ (A Sabbath) 7th Mo, 15th Day 7 Days; Convocation on 8th Day Lev 23:33-44 (1st & 8th are Sabbath) Christ our Passover has been sacrificed Clean out the old leaven… just as you are in fact unleavened Christ has been raised… the first fruits Promise of the Spirit, Mystery of Church - Jews and Gentiles in one body Regathering of Israel before final day of atonement Jer 32:37-41+ Israel repents and looks to Christ in one day Zech 3:9-10, Zech 12:10+, Zech 13:1+, Zech 14:9+ All families come to Jerusalem for Feast of Booths Zech 14:16-19+ 1Cor 5:7 1Cor 5:7-8 1Cor 15:20-23 Acts 2:1-47+ Ezekiel 36:24+ Ezekiel 36:25-27+ Heb 9-10 Ro 11:25-29+ Ezek 36:28+ John 12:2 So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. BGT John 12:2 ἐποίησαν οὖν αὐτῷ δεῖπνον ἐκεῖ, καὶ ἡ Μάρθα διηκόνει, ὁ δὲ Λάζαρος εἷς ἦν ἐκ τῶν ἀνακειμένων σὺν αὐτῷ. KJV John 12:2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. NET John 12:2 So they prepared a dinner for Jesus there. Martha was serving, and Lazarus was among those present at the table with him. CSB John 12:2 So they gave a dinner for Him there; Martha was serving them, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. ESV John 12:2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. NIV John 12:2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. NLT John 12:2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus' honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. NRS John 12:2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. NJB John 12:2 They gave a dinner for him there; Martha waited on them and Lazarus was among those at table. NAB John 12:2 They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. YLT John 12:2 they made, therefore, to him a supper there, and Martha was ministering, and Lazarus was one of those reclining together (at meat) with him; MIT John 12:2 Local people made a dinner for Jesus there. Martha prepared the food, and Lazarus was one of those who reclined at the table with him. they made: Song 4:16 5:1 Lu 5:29 14:12 Rev 3:20 Martha: Mt 26:6 Mk 14:3 Lu 10:38-42 12:37 22:27 Lazarus: Jn 12:9,10 11:43,44 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Luke 10:38-42+ (MARTHA AND MARY) Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Click picture to enlarge Ancient Way of Reclining at the Table LOOK WHO'S COMING TO DINNER! So they made Him a supper (deipnon) there, and Martha was serving (diakoneo) - Supper (deipnon) refers to the main meal of the day which was most often held in the evening and is the same word used later of the Last Supper (John 13:2, 4; 21:20). Martha, true to her form described in Lk 10:38-42+, was serving (diakoneo), a word that can mean waiting on tables and in the imperfect tense pictures her shuffling back and forth between the kitchen and the dining table (keeping in mind there are as many as 15 guests - Jesus, disciples, Simon the Leper [ex-Leper], Lazarus, not counting Mary and Martha, and Martha is not complaining!). Martha was focused on herself in Luke 10 (cf “my, me, me.” Jn 10:40). Selfishness made her feel unappreciated, resentful, and feeling neglected. In Lk 10:41+ Martha had been busy but not blessed, but now she is both busy and blessed. (THOUGHT- Which description fits you best? The Martha before or after?) Every local church needs a Martha Working as an act of worship for the Lord. Martha may have had a sign hanging in her kitchen that said, "Divine service held here three times daily." It all depends on whether one does it with the right spirit, basically a Romans 12:1+ spirit. John Calvin said that "The highest honour in the church is not government but service. (and added)...We shall never be fit for the service of God if we look not beyond this fleeting life. Vance Havner adds "There are no trivial assignments in the work of the Lord." Henrietta Mears says "Serving God with our little is the way to make it more; and we must never think that wasted with which God is honoured or men are blessed." Note there is no correction of Martha's service as there was in Luke 10:41-42+ - But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

João 12

Spurgeon - Morning and Evening - "Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him."— John 12:2 He is to be envied. It was well to be Martha and serve, but better to be Lazarus and commune. There are times for each purpose, and each is comely in its season, but none of the trees of the garden yield such clusters as the vine of fellowship. To sit with Jesus, to hear his words, to mark his acts, and receive his smiles, was such a favour as must have made Lazarus as happy as the angels. When it has been our happy lot to feast with our Beloved in his banqueting-hall, we would not have given half a sigh for all the kingdoms of the world, if so much breath could have bought them. He is to be imitated. It would have been a strange thing if Lazarus had not been at the table where Jesus was, for he had been dead, and Jesus had raised him. For the risen one to be absent when the Lord who gave him life was at his house, would have been ungrateful indeed. We too were once dead, yea, and like Lazarus stinking in the grave of sin; Jesus raised us, and by his life we live-can we be content to live at a distance from him? Do we omit to remember him at his table, where he deigns to feast with his brethren? Oh, this is cruel! It behoves us to repent, and do as he has bidden us, for his least wish should be law to us. To have lived without constant intercourse with one of whom the Jews said, "Behold how he loved him," would have been disgraceful to Lazarus, is it excusable in us whom Jesus has loved with an everlasting love? To have been cold to him who wept over his lifeless corpse, would have argued great brutishness in Lazarus. What does it argue in us over whom the Saviour has not only wept, but bled? Come, brethren, who read this portion, let us return unto our heavenly Bridegroom, and ask for his Spirit that we may be on terms of closer intimacy with him, and henceforth sit at the table with him. James Smith - A SUPPER SCENE JOHN 12:1–8 According to Matthew and Mark, this supper which “they” made for Jesus, was in the house of Simon, who had been a leper, and may have been a united effort, with the two families, to do honour to Jesus and His disciples because of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, and, perhaps, the healing of Simon. It took place six days before the passover, which meant six days before His death and burial. It must have been a hallowed time. Let us think of— I. Mary, the Sacrificer. While others rejoice to sit at the table with Jesus, and learn of Him, Mary, who had before sat at His feet, feels impelled by the love of her heart to embrace this opportunity of proving her faith and affection by personal sacrifice. To her, at that time, it was more blessed to give than to receive. There surely must be seasons in our lives when we shall find it more blessed to sacrifice than to seek, to give than to take, to praise than to pray. See the nature of it. “Mary took a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly.” Judas reckoned its value at “three hundred pence”—more correctly, shillings As money goes now, it would mean probably about £60. The costlier the better for Mary’s deep purpose of love. Hypocritical worshippers are content to give the Lord the lame and the blind, the odd coppers and the spare moments. They never cross the threshold of the sanctuary of self-sacrificing service. See the manner in which it was given. She “anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair.” It is possible to give even a costly gift in such a way as to sting the soul of the receiver. The Lord loveth a cheerful giver. Mary not only offered Him her precious treasure, but her personal glory was also laid at His feet and surrendered to His service. The ointment was all the more precious to the Saviour because the soul of the offerer was in it. See the influence of it. “The house was filled with the odour of the ointment.” Such a self-sacrificing act could not pass without being felt by all who saw it. Such costly offerings, made for such a sacred purpose, are sure to betray themselves (Prov. 27:16). A consecrated life has always a sweet odour to Christ and His faithful disciples. II. Judas, the Criticiser. The only one who did not appreciate the holy deed of Mary was Judas. The “odour of the ointment” poured upon the Son of God had no sweet savour to him, “because he was a thief,” and would rather have had the “three hundred shillings” in his bag for his own advantage. His hypocritical plea was, that it might have been sold and the money given to the poor. “Not that he cared for the poor.” Surely the Saviour of sinners was more interested in the poor than he was. He who was rich, for our sakes became poor. “To what purpose is this waste?” (Matt. 26:8). Judas, the son of perdition, could not see that the breaking of this alabaster box, and the pouring out of the fragrant treasure upon the Person of Christ was the consecrating of both to the greatest possible service. It is noteworthy that the word “waste” used by Judas is literally the same word used by our Lord in referring to him as the “son of perdition.” Where the spirit of self-seeking is there is blindness to the honour and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Mary’s vision of Jesus was such that it constrained her to surrender all. Judas could not see beyond the black shadow of his own sinful self-interest. III. Jesus, the Justifier. “Then Jesus said, Let her alone; against the day of My burying hath she kept this.” He understood the full significance of this singularly solemn service, and always puts the highest value upon such gifts. The costly offering was in no sense wasted on Him. To His soul, in view of His death and burial, it had a sweet savour. “Let her alone.” The Son of God who sacrificed Himself for sinners will never put any hindrance in the way of a believing, grateful heart showing its devotion to Him to the fullest extent. He knows that such love and sacrifice will have its corresponding reward (Mark 14:9). “Let her alone.” Well He knew that there are so few who care to go this length in honouring Him. She broke through all the forms of etiquette, and gave to Christ exceeding abundantly above all that they would have asked or thought of. Such a spontaneous outburst of self-sacrificing affection was to Jesus the principal part of the feast. Love feasts on love. Here He had a meat to eat that others knew not of. “The poor,” he said, “always ye have with you, but Me ye have not always.” But those who reckon it waste to pour out wealth for the cause of Jesus Christ will not be likely to break their treasure boxes in behalf of the poor. The best friends of the poor have always been those who are the most devoted friends of Jesus Christ. The love of Christ constraineth us. David Jeremiah - Three-Dimensional Giving SCRIPTURE: John 12:1–11 INTRODUCTION: The Bible often presents both sides of an issue so we can see it in balance. Two people are placed at opposite poles of reality in this passage—the generous Mary and the selfish Judas. 1. A Sacrificial Attitude Is Essential in Christian Giving. Mary gave to Jesus something that was very costly. The Bible tells us that we should not offer to the Lord that which costs us nothing. 2. A Servant Attitude Is Essential in Christian Giving. She came to His feet and worshiped Him. 3. A Submissive Attitude Is Essential in Christian Giving. She bathed His feet, wiping them with her hair. 4. A Scriptural Attitude Is Essential in Christian Giving. She gave to Jesus because she really believed what God had said to her through Him. She was anointing Him for His burial. CONCLUSION: In contrast, look at Judas. He didn’t care about Mary’s worship nor did he care about the poor. He thought only of money. Every time the offering plate comes our way, each of us responds either like Mary or like Judas. Are you giving to God’s work in a way that pleases Him? Skip Heitzig "sister" joke - So there were three sisters, elderly sisters, who live together. Their ages were 92, 94, and 96, respectively. They were old gals. They had survived, and they were sharing a home. And as they were getting older, they were getting more frail. And the 96-year-old was upstairs. She was running a bath. And she put her foot over one side of the tub, and then she cried out, she yelled out to her sisters downstairs, now was I getting in the tub or was I getting out of the tub. And the 94-year-old sister answered, and she said, I don't know. I'll come up, and I'll see. So she was going up the stairs, she paused, and she said, now, was I going up the stairs or coming down the stairs, she yelled out. And her other sister, the 92-year-old was sitting at the kitchen table downstairs, and she shook her head. And she said, man, I hope my mind doesn't go like that when I get older. And she said, and then she went like this. Knock on wood, you know, just reassurance. And then she said, I'll be up to help you gals in a minute. But first, let me see who's at the door. SPECIAL TOPIC: "ANOINTING" IN THE BIBLE Used for beautification (BDB 691 I. cf. Deut. 28:40; Ruth 3:3; 2 Sam. 12:20; 14:2; 2 Chr. 28:15; Dan. 10:3; Mic. 6:15) Used for guests (BDB 206, cf. Ps. 23:5; Luke 7:38,46; John 11:2) Used for healing (BDB 602, cf. Isa. 61:1; Mark 6:13; Luke 10:34; James 5:14) [used in hygienic sense in Ezek. 16:9] Used in preparation for burial (cf. Mark 16:1; John 12:3,7; 19:39-40; note 2 Chr. 16:14, but without the VERB "anoint") Used in a religious sense (of an object, BDB 602) Gen. 28:18; 31:13 (a pillar) Exod. 29:36 (the altar) Exod. 30:26; 40:9-16; Lev. 8:10-13; Num. 7:1 (the tabernacle) Used for installing leaders Priests Aaron (Exod. 28:41; 29:7; 30:30) Aaron's sons (Exod. 40:15; Lev. 7:36) standard phrase or title (Num. 3:3; Lev. 16:32) Kings by God (cf. 1 Sam. 2:10; 2 Sam. 12:7; 2 Kgs. 9:3,6,12; Ps. 45:7; 89:20) by the prophets (cf. 1 Sam. 9:16; 10:1; 15:1,17; 16:3,12-13; 1 Kgs. 1:45; 19:15-16) by priests (cf. 1 Kgs. 1:34,39; 2 Kgs. 11:12) by the elders (cf. Jdgs. 9:8,15; 2 Sam. 2:7; 5:3; 2 Kgs. 23:30) of Jesus as Messianic king (cf. Ps. 2:2; Luke 4:18 [Isa. 61:1]; Acts 4:27; 10:38; Heb. 1:9 [Ps. 45:7]) Jesus' followers (cf. 2 Cor. 1:21; 1 John 2:20,27 [chrisma]) possibly of prophets (cf. 1 Kgs. 19:16; Isa. 61:1) unbelieving instruments of divine deliverance Cyrus (cf. Isa. 45:1) King of Tyre (cf. Ezek. 28:14, where he uses Garden of Eden metaphors) term or title "Messiah" means "an Anointed One" (BDB 603, cf. Ps. 2:2; 89:38; 132:10) Acts 10:38 is a verse where all three persons of the Godhead are involved in anointing. Jesus was anointed (cf. Luke 4:18; Acts 4:27; 10:38). The concept is widened to include all believers (cf. 1 John 2:27). The Anointed One has become the anointed ones! This may be parallel to Antichrist and antichrists (cf. 1 John 2:18). The OT symbolic act of physical anointing with oil (cf. Ex 29:7; 30:25; 37:29) relates to those who were called and equipped by God for a special task (i.e., prophets, priests, and kings). Draining or Replenishing? They made Him a supper; and Martha served . . . . Then Mary . . . anointed the feet of Jesus. —John 12:2-3 Today's Scripture: John 12:1-11 If someone spent the whole day with me, how would he feel at the end of the day—worn out or built up? That’s the kind of question I began to think about as I listened to Clark Hutchinson talk about relationships. He said he has noticed three kinds: draining, neutral, and replenishing. Hutchinson pointed out that Jesus experienced all three kinds of relationships. Those that exhausted His energy were perhaps the most common in our Lord’s earthly experience, for He spent much of His time giving. He healed the sick, encouraged the downtrodden, and taught the masses. We know that sometimes He must have been worn out by these experiences. He often went away to pray and renew Himself (Matt. 14:23; Luke 5:16). Some of His relationships were probably just casual contacts. But the replenishing ones encouraged Jesus. They were relationships with people such as Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, whose love and presence uplifted the Lord. How do we relate to our friends, acquaintances, and family members? We can add to their lives a measure of happiness by giving them a chance to talk, encouraging them, and suggesting life’s brighter side. A smile, a word, a touch— And each is easily given, To rescue someone from despair Or smooth the way to heaven. —Anon. To get the most out of a relationship, put all you can into it. What Are You Looking For? A woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil. —Mark 14:3 Today's Scripture: Mark 14:1-9 “Stop! There’s a good pair of shoes! Slow down, you just passed a hammer! Look at that jacket in the ditch!” As the car was speeding down the highway at 70 miles an hour, these were the exclamations of a hitchhiker to the driver who had just picked him up. After several hours of similar comments, the driver reached two conclusions: 1. The hitchhiker’s life consisted mainly of things he found by the side of the road. 2. All of us see what we’re looking for. As we go through life, the focus of our eyes reveals the desire of our hearts. During the week before Jesus was crucified, the chief priests and scribes were looking for any excuse to arrest and kill Him (Mark 14:1). Judas was looking for a convenient way to betray Jesus (v.11). A woman whom we know to be Mary of Bethany was looking for a way to show her love to the Lord (John 12:1-3). And they all found the opportunities they were seeking. If you'd like to know the love of God the Father, Come to Him through Jesus Christ, His only Son; He'll forgive your sins and save your soul forever, And you'll love forevermore this faithful One. —Felten We can love Jesus too little, but we can never love Him too much. John 12:3 Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. BGT John 12:3 Ἡ οὖν Μαριὰμ λαβοῦσα λίτραν μύρου νάρδου πιστικῆς πολυτίμου ἤλειψεν τοὺς πόδας τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ ἐξέμαξεν ταῖς θριξὶν αὐτῆς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ· ἡ δὲ οἰκία ἐπληρώθη ἐκ τῆς ὀσμῆς τοῦ μύρου. KJV John 12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. NET John 12:3 Then Mary took three quarters of a pound of expensive aromatic oil from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus. She then wiped his feet dry with her hair. (Now the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil.) CSB John 12:3 Then Mary took a pound of fragrant oil-- pure and expensive nard-- anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped His feet with her hair. So the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. ESV John 12:3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. NIV John 12:3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. NLT John 12:3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus' feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. NRS John 12:3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. NJB John 12:3 Mary brought in a pound of very costly ointment, pure nard, and with it anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair; the house was filled with the scent of the ointment. NAB John 12:3 Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. YLT John 12:3 Mary, therefore, having taken a pound of ointment of spikenard, of great price, anointed the feet of Jesus and did wipe with her hair his feet, and the house was filled from the fragrance of the ointment. MIT John 12:3 Then Mary took twelve ounces of genuine oil of nard, an expensive perfume, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped them with her hair. The building was filled with the aroma of the perfume. took: Jn 11:2,28,32 Mt 26:6,7-13 Mk 14:3-9 Lu 10:38,39 perfume: Ps 132:2 Song 1:12 4:10,13,14 anointed: Mk 14:3 Lu 7:37,38,46 filled: Song 1:3 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 26:6-13+ Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. 8 But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste? 9 “For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me (OR ONE COULD RENDER IT "SHE HAS DONE A BEAUTIFUL DEED TO ME"). 11 “For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. 12 “For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. 13 “Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” Mark 14:1-9+ Now the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him; 2 for they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people.” 3 While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. 4 But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5 “For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her. 6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. 7 “For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. 8 “She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial. 9 “Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” EXTRAVAGANT DEVOTION: WORTHY IS THE LAMB! Is Luke describing the same event in Luke Luke 7:36-50+? Some (J C

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Spurgeon - Observe that the sharpest critics of the works of good men are very often no better than they should be. This Judas is indignant with what Mary does, and claims that he cares for the poor, but all the while he is thief. Whenever a man is very quick, condemning gracious men and women, you may be quite as quick in condemning him. He is a Judas usually.....Somebody or other always seemed to object to Mary. If Martha does not do it, Judas will. To be found guilty of excess of love to Christ is such a blessed criminality that I wish we might be executed for it. It were sweet to be put to death for such a crime. It was that that Christ died of. He was found guilty of excess of love. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Kostenberger - Neither Mark (who obliquely refers to “some” [Mk 14:4]) nor Matthew (who speaks of “the disciples” [Mt 26:8]) reveals the identity of the persons objecting to the anointing. It is also John who alone adds the incriminating piece of information about Judas being a thief. The account of the anointing is, at its core, a tale of contrasts: Mary’s lavish devotion to Jesus is set against the backdrop of the looming prospect of Judas’s betrayal of his master. In another contrast, the man whom Jesus had raised from the dead, Lazarus, takes part in the dinner, while Jesus himself is anointed for burial. This is the time for devotion or antagonism toward Jesus to be displayed. J

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Spurgeon - There was a conflict in the Saviour’s heart, — the weakness of his true manhood — striving with the strength of his infinite affection to his people, and also to his Father. We must never forget that He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” If it had been no pain to him to die as the Substitute for sinners, there would have been no atoning sacrifice in his death; and if no dread had overtaken him at the thought of death, it would have proved that he did not die as we do; and, therefore, he would not have been able to take our place as he did. Notice how the Saviour speaks of the struggle that was going on in his soul. “What shall I say?” Do you ever have to ask that question when you are trying to pray? If so, do not be astonished, for even your Lord and Master said the same. “What shall I say?” — as if he paused to consider what form his prayer should take, — “shall I say, Father save me from this hour? No; but I will say, For this cause came I unto this hour.”.....Nature suggests the cry, “Father, save me from this hour.” Grace comes behind the flesh, being a little slower to speak; but it corrects the errors of the flesh, and says, “For this cause came I unto this hour.”......This seems to be a sort of rehearsal of the dread scene soon to be enacted in Gethsemane. At the sight of these Greeks, our Saviour seems to have been led specially to think, as we have already said, of that death by which they, and multitudes like them were to be redeemed. Thinking of it, he enters so fully into it, by a sort of foretaste, that he feels something of the same shiver and throe of anguish which came upon him in Gethsemane. He seems to say here, “Father, save me from this hour,” just as he said there, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” Yet he says here, “But for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name,” — just as he afterwards said in the garden, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) J C Macaulay - As our Lord spoke thus (Jn 12:24-26), first of His own cross as the way to His glory, and then of its application to the disciples, the lure of the glory beyond seemed to recede, and the horror of the great darkness fell on Him. Gethsemane, while a climax and a crisis, was not a solitary incident. Mark tells us of the consternation and amazement of the disciples as they noticed the appearance of their Master on their going up to Jerusalem, so that they fell behind, fearing to intrude on the struggle which His countenance betrayed. That the shadow of Calvary was upon Him then is evident from the fact that He immediately called them and began to tell them of the coming tragedy. So here, the coming of the Greeks, and His own declarations, brought the anguish to His soul. He entered into "little Gethsemane." Bishop Ryle has pointed out the remarkable parallel between the two experiences...(BORROW Expository Commentary on John) NET NOTE - Father, deliver me from this hour (hora) - It is now clear that Jesus' hour has come - the hour of His return to the Father through crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension (see Jn 12:23). This will be reiterated in Jn 13:1 and Jn 17:1. Jesus fully Man states (employing words similar to those of Ps 6:4) that his soul is troubled. What shall His response to His imminent death be? A prayer to the Father to deliver him from that hour? (ED: ALTHOUGH SOME LIKE D A CARSON THINK IT WAS SIMILAR TO Lk 22:42). No, because it is on account of this very hour that Jesus has come. His sacrificial death has always remained the primary purpose of his mission into the world. Now, faced with the completion of that mission, shall he ask the Father to spare him from it? The expected answer is no. Muller - At Jn. 12:27 Jesus’ words “my soul is troubled” do not refer simply to an emotional experience. The fear and anxiety experienced by the One who has been sent shows that he has humbled himself to the utmost, in order to take upon himself the lost condition of man, and in this very condition to glorify the Father. (NIDNTT) But - Term of contrast. Not deliverance but death. Not deliverance from death, but deliverance over to death. For this purpose I came to this hour - Jesus was a Man on mission, to accomplish the will of His Father. He was sent to die for the world. In John 17:4 He says “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do." So sure was His fully atoning work on the Cross to be finished (Jn 19:30), that in John 17:4 He speaks of it in the past tense. Henry Alford paraphrases it "‘I came to this hour for this very purpose, that I might be saved from this hour:’ i.e. ‘ the going into, and exhausting this hour, this cup, is the very appointed way of My glorification.’ Bob Utley on this purpose - Jesus' life unfolded according to a divine plan (cf. Luke 22:22; Acts 2:23; Acts 3:18; Acts 4:28) which Jesus fully understood (cf. Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45). Spurgeon applies this passage - Often, my brethren, should we be checked in prayer if we would be as wise as our Lord. “What shall I say? Shall I ask to be delivered from sickness? Shall I ask that I may not endure the troubles, which are the common lot of men? Shall I pray to be screened from persecution?” You see, I am rendering our Lord’s question into our language, bringing it down from the lofty height of his divine thought to the level of our poor humanity. We must often pause before we pray, and say with our Lord, “For this cause came I unto this hour. Have I not been brought here on purpose to suffer? Have I not been led to this place that I may glorify God by submitting to all his will?” Therefore, sometimes let us check ourselves in prayer, lest we should ask what is not for our own good or for God’s glory. The next word of the Saviour will give us liberty enough, for he went on to say,- (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Troubled (disturbed, stirred up) (5015) tarasso literally means to shake back and forth and therefore to agitate and stir up (like the pool in John 5:4,7, Lxx = Ezek 32:2, 13, Isa 51:15). To shake together, stir up, disturb, unsettle, throw into disorder (Lxx = Ps 46; 2Sa 22:8 = of earth shaking). Most of the NT uses of tarasso are figurative and describe the state of one's mind as stirred up, agitated or experiencing inward commotion. The passive voice is always used in the NT with a negative meaning, conveying the sense of emotional disturbance or inner turmoil, so that one is unsettled, thrown into confusion, or disturbed by various emotions, including excitement, perplexity, fear or trepidation. Tarasso is a strong word, meaning “to deeply upset,” “to deeply disturb,” “to perplex,” or “to create fear.” Tarasso also describes the potential effect of false teaching in Galatians 1:7 and Gal 5:10. It is a strong term used in several ways in the NT. Herod's fear (Matthew 2:3) the disciples' fear (Matthew 14:26) Jesus' unsettled anxiety (John 12:27; John 13:21; also note Matthew 26:38; Mark 14:34) the Church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:24) false teachers' disruption of the churches of Galatia (Galatians 1:7) Tarasso conveys the idea of to disturb mentally or to cause a deep emotional disturbance and thus refers to an unsettled mind, as when Herod heard of the birth of Jesus (Mt 2:3), Zacharias' fear when he saw the angel (Lk 1:12), the terror of the disciples when they witnessed Jesus walking on the water (Mt 14:26), Jesus' reaction to the lack of faith among the people before He raises Lazarus (Jn 11:33), in Jesus' command to not let their hearts be troubled (Jn 14:1) and of disturbing the faith of someone (Gal 5:10). Tarasso emphasizes the intensity of the Lord's reaction to His impending death (Jn 12:27) and His response to Judas' imminent betrayal. Tarasso - 18v disturbed(1), disturbing(2), stirred(3), stirring(1), terrified(2), troubled(9). Matt. 2:3; Matt. 14:26; Mk. 6:50; Lk. 1:12; Lk. 24:38; Jn. 5:4; Jn. 5:7; Jn. 11:33; Jn. 12:27; Jn. 13:21; Jn. 14:1; Jn. 14:27; Acts 15:24; Acts 17:8; Acts 17:13; Gal. 1:7; Gal. 5:10; 1 Pet. 3:14 Hour (5610)(hora) refers to the day generally, daytime (Mt. 14:15; Mk 6:35; 11:11). Hora can refer to a part (division) of the day literally (Mt 24:36, et al) or figuratively referring to a short time (Rev 17:12). Metonymically and generally, an hour meaning a time or period as spoken of any definite point or space of time. ("at once" Mt 9:22, 15:28, 17:18, Jn 19:27) Classic use - The noun hora occurs in Homer and others in the Ionic form hore. It denotes a particular division of time, especially an hour. But hora can also mean year, day and moment, or designate a season, or also (of human beings) a stage of life, such as youth (cf. Mimnermos in Griechische Lyrik, RK 140—142, 84). In Homer and other poets hora marks the customarily appropriate time for certain activities, e.g. the evening meal (Homer, Od. 21, 428), going to sleep (Homer, Od. 11, 330 and 373) or sexual enjoyment (Orpheus, Frag. 5a, Diels-Kranz, I, 8). (See detailed 4 page discussion of hora in NIDNTT) Gingrich - 1. time of day, hour Mt 14:15; 24:36, 50; Mk 6:35; 11:11; Lk 12:39f, 46; Rev 3:3.—2. hour—a. as a (short) space of time Mt 20:12; 26:40; Lk 22:59; Jn 5:35; 11:9; Ac 5:7; 2 Cor 7:8; Gal 2:5; Philemon 15; Rev 9:15; 18:10, 17, 19.—b. as a moment of time named from the hour that has just passed. The period of daylight was divided into twelve ‘hours’ (more than 60 minutes each in summer, less than 60 minutes in the winter); the ‘first hour’ was approximately 6 A.M., the second was 7 A.M., and so on. Mt 20:5, 9; Mk 15:25; Lk 23:44; Jn 1:39; 4:6; Acts 3:1; 10:30; 22:13; 23:23; 1 Cor 4:11.—3. the time of an occurrence Mt 8:13; 18:1; Mk 13.11; Lk 1:10; 10:21; Jn 2:4; 7:30; 12:23; 16:21; 19:27; Ac 16:33; Rev 11:13; 14:7, 15. (BORROW Shorter Lexicon of the Greek New Testament) Friberg - (1) as a limited or measured segment of time hour, the twelfth part of a day (Jn 11.9); (2) as the time set for something hour, appointed time (Lk 14.17); (3) by metonymy, what takes place within an appointed time events of an hour or time, as for childbirth (her) hour, (her) time (Jn 16.21); for Jesus' redemptive acts (my) hour, (my) time (Jn 17.1); for future events (the coming) time, (the last) hour (1Jn 2.18; Rev 3.10); (4) idiomatically, of a comparatively short period of time -- literally in a single hour, i.e. in an amazingly short time ( Rev 18.10, 19), for a while, for a season (Jn 5.35 ); for a moment (Gal 2.5); e arti hora = literally the present hour, i.e. at this very time (1Co 4.11) (BORROW Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament ) TDNT - 1. In the NT we find “set time” in Luke 14:17 (cf. the “hour” of prayer in Acts 3:1). In Rev. 9:15 a specific “hour” is set for an apocalyptic event. The hour may be an “hour of judgment” (14:7), an “hour to reap” (14:15), or an “hour of trial” (3:10). The content of the hour of Jn. 12:27 gives it special significance as “this hour”; “hour” can stand for the content (Mark 14:35). The “hour” of dawn is the time to awake out of sleep and to act with vigilance (Rom. 13:11-12). 2. The expression hṓra tinós denotes the time for human suffering or action. “Her hour” is the hour when a woman is to bear her child in Jn. 16:21. Similarly Jesus fulfils the requirement of the hour that God has set for him, e.g., when he goes to the cross in 13:1. He knows that “his hour” has not yet come (7:30; 8:20). The thought is that of obedience to the divine will and purpose (cf. 2:4). Negatively the hour may be that of his opponents (16:4; cf. Luke 22:53). 3. With “my time has come” we also find “the time has come,” i.e., God’s appointed time (Jn. 17:1; Mark 14:41). In Luke 22:14 the reference is to the time for the Passover (“when the hour [of the Passover] came”). 4. In Jn. 4:21, 23; 5:25, 28; 16:2, 25 the phrase “the time will come” intimates future events. “And now is” in 4:23 (cf. 16:32) shows that something is just at hand. eschátē hṓra is the “end time.” 5. hṓra can also denote a fixed time (cf. “from that time” in Matt. 9:22, or “in that moment” in 8:13, of “instantly” in Acts 16:18). God will give the right words “at the time” of trial (Mark 13:11). 6. No one knows the day or hour of the parousia, not even the Son (Mark 13:32). In this context “hour” may be simply a section of the day or night; it is not necessarily a twelfth part of the day. The Son comes unexpectedly; this is the point in Matt. 12:44. We do not know the day or hour of the bridegroom’s coming (25:13), nor when the thief comes (24:43). Watchfulness is thus demanded (Mark 13:33ff.). 7. A strict “hour” is the meaning in Jn. 11:9. Except in Matt. 20:3, 5-6 the Synoptic Gospels give specific times only for the events of the passion (Mark 15:25, 33-34; cf. Jn. 19:14). Jn. 1:39 and 4:52-53 give the times for particular reasons. Details of time also occur in Acts 10:3, 30; 23:23. Acts 5:7 and 19:34 mention periods of hours. Luke 22:59 refers to a short time of about an hour. Contrast with “forever” occurs in Phlm. 15, and mían hṓran means “for a short time” in Rev. 17:12. (BORROW Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament : abridged in one volume) Hora - 106x/98v - hour(84), hours(3), late*(2), moment(3), once*(3), short*(1), time(6), while(4). Matt. 8:13; Matt. 9:22; Matt. 10:19; Matt. 14:15; Matt. 15:28; Matt. 17:18; Matt. 18:1; Matt. 20:3; Matt. 20:5; Matt. 20:9; Matt. 20:12; Matt. 24:36; Matt. 24:44; Matt. 24:50; Matt. 25:13; Matt. 26:40; Matt. 26:45; Matt. 26:55; Matt. 27:45; Matt. 27:46; Mk. 6:35; Mk. 13:11; Mk. 13:32; Mk. 14:35; Mk. 14:37; Mk. 14:41; Mk. 15:25; Mk. 15:33; Mk. 15:34; Lk. 1:10; Lk. 2:38; Lk. 7:21; Lk. 10:21; Lk. 12:12; Lk. 12:39; Lk. 12:40; Lk. 12:46; Lk. 13:31; Lk. 14:17; Lk. 20:19; Lk. 22:14; Lk. 22:53; Lk. 22:59; Lk. 23:44; Lk. 24:33; Jn. 1:39; Jn. 2:4; Jn. 4:6; Jn. 4:21; Jn. 4:23; Jn. 4:52; Jn. 4:53; Jn. 5:25; Jn. 5:28; Jn. 5:35; Jn. 7:30; Jn. 8:20; Jn. 11:9; Jn. 12:23; Jn. 12:27; Jn. 13:1; Jn. 16:2; Jn. 16:4; Jn. 16:21; Jn. 16:25; Jn. 16:32; Jn. 17:1; Jn. 19:14; Jn. 19:27; Acts 2:15; Acts 3:1; Acts 5:7; Acts 10:3; Acts 10:9; Acts 10:30; Acts 16:18; Acts 16:33; Acts 19:34; Acts 22:13; Acts 23:23; Rom. 13:11; 1 Co. 4:11; 1 Co. 15:30; 2 Co. 7:8; Gal. 2:5; 1 Thess. 2:17; Phlm. 1:15; 1 Jn. 2:18; Rev. 3:3; Rev. 3:10; Rev. 9:15; Rev. 11:13; Rev. 14:7; Rev. 14:15; Rev. 17:12; Rev. 18:10; Rev. 18:17; Rev. 18:19 Hora in the Septuagint - Gen. 18:10; Gen. 18:14; Gen. 29:7; Exod. 9:18; Exod. 10:4; Exod. 13:10; Exod. 18:22; Exod. 18:26; Lev. 16:2; Num. 9:2; Deut. 11:14; Deut. 33:13; Deut. 33:14; Deut. 33:16; Jos. 11:6; Ruth 2:14; 1 Sam. 25:6; 2 Sam. 24:15; 1 Ki. 19:2; 1 Ki. 20:6; 2 Ki. 4:16; 2 Ki. 4:17; 2 Ki. 7:1; 2 Ki. 7:18; 2 Ki. 10:6; Neh. 8:3; Est. 10:3; Job 5:26; Job 15:32; Job 15:33; Job 24:1; Job 24:6; Job 36:28; Job 38:23; Isa. 52:7; Dan. 4:17; Dan. 4:19; Dan. 4:26; Dan. 5:5; Dan. 8:17; Dan. 8:19; Dan. 9:21; Dan. 11:6; Dan. 11:35; Dan. 11:40; Dan. 11:45; Dan. 12:1; Dan. 12:13; Hos. 2:9; Zech. 10:1; Gilbrant on Septuagint - About 50 instances of hōra are recorded in the Septuagint. It translates six Hebrew words, but most often it replaces ‛ēth, “time.” In Israel an hour was often something similar to our own understanding; there were sundials for telling time (2 Kings 20:9; Isaiah 38:8). Without sundials the day was divided simply into “day” and “night” and “morning” and “noon” (Psalm 55:17). However, only in passages with no Hebrew text does hōra mean “hour” (Delling, “hōra,” Kittel, 9:677). Three Maccabees 5:14 notes: “Since it was nearly the middle of the tenth hour.” In the Septuagint hōra tends to represent a point in time, i.e., “the fixed time,” rather than a period of time. Like the word “day,” hour can also denote a longer or shorter period of time. When it occurs in an eschatological context it might parallel the expression “the day of the Lord.” In Daniel 8:17 we read of “the hour of time” (hōran kairou) and in Daniel 11:40,45 of the “last hour” (hōran sunteleias). (Complete Biblical Library) Oswald Chambers - Receiving one’s self in the fires of sorrow What shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? But for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy name. John 12:27–29 (R.V.). My attitude as a saint to sorrow and difficulty is not to ask that they may be prevented, but to ask that I may preserve the self God created me to be through every fire of sorrow. Our Lord received Himself in the fire of sorrow, He was saved not from the hour, but out of the hour. We say that there ought to be no sorrow, but there is sorrow, and we have to receive ourselves in its fires. If we try and evade sorrow, refuse to lay our account with it, we are foolish. Sorrow is one of the biggest facts in life; it is no use saying sorrow ought not to be. Sin and sorrow and suffering are, and it is not for us to say that God has made a mistake in allowing them. Sorrow burns up a great amount of shallowness, but it does not always make a man better. Suffering either gives me my self or it destroys my self. You cannot receive your self in success, you lose your head; you cannot receive your self in monotony, you grouse. The way to find your self is in the fires of sorrow. Why it should be so is another matter, but that it is so is true in the Scriptures and in human experience. You always know the man who has been through the fires of sorrow and received himself, you are certain you can go to him in trouble and find that he has ample leisure for you. If a man has not been through the fires of sorrow, he is apt to be contemptuous, he has no time for you. If you receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people. More Than Giftwrap For this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name. —John 12:27-28 Today's Scripture: John 12:23-28 Every year at Christmas, James Baxter watches people rip apart his company’s product and throw it away. All the hours of creative design and careful manufacturing are gone in a flash. And he has no regrets. As president of the nation’s largest maker of Christmas giftwrap, Mr. Baxter says, “What we don’t want is our product sitting in somebody’s closet.” A product like wrapping paper lends an interesting perspective on the real meaning of Christmas. When God sent His only Son into this world, His purpose was not to give us a pretty package to gaze upon. Jesus willingly left His glory in heaven and came to earth, clothed with our humanity, knowing that His purpose was to die for our sins. When talking about His approaching death on the cross, Jesus said, “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour” (Jn. 12:27). Sacrifice, not self-preservation, was our Savior’s goal. And He accomplished it to the glory of God. Hark! The herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King; Peace on earth, and mercy mild— God and sinners reconciled!" —Wesley Jesus was born that we might be born again. John 12:28 "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." BGT John 12:28 πάτερ, δόξασόν σου τὸ ὄνομα. ἦλθεν οὖν φωνὴ ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· καὶ ἐδόξασα καὶ πάλιν δοξάσω. KJV John 12:28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. NET John 12:28 Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." CSB John 12:28 Father, glorify Your name!" Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again!" ESV John 12:28 Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." NIV John 12:28 Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." NLT John 12:28 Father, bring glory to your name." Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, "I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again." NRS John 12:28 Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." NJB John 12:28 Father, glorify your name! A voice came from heaven, 'I have glorified it, and I will again glorify it.' NAB John 12:28 Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it and will glorify it again." YLT John 12:28 Father, glorify Thy name.' There came, therefore, a voice out of the heaven, 'I both glorified, and again I will glorify it;' MIT John 12:28 Father, glorify your name." Then came a voice from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I again will glorify it." Father: Jn 18:11 Mt 26:42 Mk 14:36 Then: Mt 3:17 Mt 17:5 2Pe 1:17 I have: Jn 9:3 11:4,40-44 and will: Jn 13:31,32 Isa 49:3-7 Eph 2:7 3:10,21 Php 1:6-11 Rev 5:9-14 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 3:17 (AT JESUS' BAPTISM) and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” Matthew 17:5 (AT JESUS' TRANSFIGURATION) While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” JESUS PRAYER FOR FATHER'S GLORY Father (pater), glorify (doxazo) Your name." - Instead of praying save Me from this hour, Jesus prayed this prayer. Glorify (doxazo) is in the aorist imperative adding a note of urgency. Your name refers to all that God is, for the name stands for the Person of God, the character of God (cf name in Jn 1:12, 5:43, 17:11). As Henry Alford paraphrased Jesus' preceding words "‘I came to this hour for this very purpose, that I might be saved from this hour:’ i.e. ‘the going into, and exhausting this hour, this cup, is the very appointed way of My glorification.’ R V G Tasker insightfully adds "But Jesus' own glorification is also the Father's glorification. The two are inseparable. Accordingly, He now prays that His Father's Name may be glorified, i.e. that in and through His forthcoming suffering His Father will be recognized as being what in truth He is, the Lover of sinners (ED: REMEMBER A SIMPLE DEFINITION OF TO GLORIFY SOMEONE IS TO GIVE A PROPER OPINION OF THEM.) (BORROW The Gospel according to St. John PAGE 148). William

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Spurgeon - It is not every day that you can do something personally and distinctly for Christ himself, and therefore, whenever the occasion serves you be sure to be there to avail yourself of it. True, you can serve him indirectly by aiding his poor saints. Still, something for him — for him himself — should often be devised as Mary devised this service that day. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Daniel Akin commenting on the parallel passage in Mk 14:7 says this statement by Jesus "has caused some readers real heartburn. They misread the verse supposing Jesus to be somewhat callous and insensitive toward the poor. The poor are always with us in this fallen and broken world and we can and should do good for them. Jesus believed that. Jesus taught that. The issue is between “always” and “not always.” The poor are always there but Jesus would not be. The opportunity to show Him this kind of personal love and affection would soon be gone. Further, and we should not miss this. Jesus is God speaking and the first of the great commandments always trumps the second (cf. Mark 12:30-31). Jesus indeed asserts his priority and preeminence above all others (Col. 1:18). And, this might help. Put these words in the mouth of any other human person and they sound scandalous, self-centered, even narcisstic. Put them in the mouth of the Son of God who “for your sake became poor so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9) and they make all the sense in the world. Care for the poor, but worship the Savior! True love never calculates the cost. Genuine devotion never considers the investment. It simply and spontaneously acts and does all that it can, 8 disappointed only in the fact that it could not do more! This is exactly what we see in Mary. In every generation there will be people in a state of poverty. No socialist society or governmental program will ever be able to win the war on poverty until Christ returns and sets up His own kingdom on earth. Then, with war and crime banned, and with a productive environment restored, universal prosperity will finally be achieved. This should not be understood callously. Christ says, in effect, that there will be other opportunities to do good to the poor, but not another opportunity to do what had just been done to Him. Warren

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Spurgeon - Their curiosity was but natural, for few of them could have seen anyone who had been raised from the dead. It is well when a saved soul, who has been spiritually raised from the dead, becomes a center of attraction together with the Lord who has wrought such a miracle of mercy upon him. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Rod Mattoon - Why were they so curious to see Lazarus? The answer is he had been brought back to life! A miracle had taken place in his life. Beloved, this is what the Lord has done for those who have trusted Him as their Savior. They have been spiritually brought back to life which is truly a miracle. Those who are saved have been made spiritually alive and walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). When a person is born again, it affects the rest of your life including your attitudes, actions, and your relationships with other people. Why? You are a new person. (2 Corinthians 5:17) When there is a change in our life, it can create curiosity in those around us to find out the reason why. The change in Lazarus created curiosity in others. They sought him out to find out the reason for the change. His was a physical change, but people notice behavioral changes or differences in our lives. If we live or act differently, sooner or later, someone usually asks why there is a difference in us. So let me ask, “Does your life create curiosity in others?” Note that there are five groups of people mentioned in this chapter. a crowd from Jerusalem, John 12:9 the people who witnessed Lazarus' revival John 12:17 the large crowd of pilgrims coming to the Passover, John 12:12,18, 29, 34 Some Greeks (some think they were Hellenistic Jews - Acts 6:1, 9:29), John 12:20 Many rulers who believed in Him, John 12:42 John 12:10 But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; BGT John 12:10 ἐβουλεύσαντο δὲ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς ἵνα καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον ἀποκτείνωσιν, KJV John 12:10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; NET John 12:10 So the chief priests planned to kill Lazarus too, CSB John 12:10 Therefore the chief priests decided to kill Lazarus also ESV John 12:10 So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, NIV John 12:10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, NLT John 12:10 Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too, NRS John 12:10 So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, NJB John 12:10 Then the chief priests decided to kill Lazarus as well, NAB John 12:10 And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, YLT John 12:10 and the chief priests took counsel, that also Lazarus they may kill, MIT John 12:10 The executive priests were conspiring to murder Lazarus too Jn 11:47-53,57 Ge 4:4-10 Ex 10:3 Job 15:25,26 40:8,9 Ec 9:3 Da 5:21-23 Mt 2:3-8,16 Lu 16:31 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries LAZARUS' LIFE IN JEOPARDY But - Term of contrast. An about face (so to speak). Many came and believed which was in marked in contrast to attitude of the religious leaders. The chief priests (archiereus) planned (bouleuo) to put Lazarus to death (apokteino) also - This is simply an "addendum" to what John had recorded in Jn 11:53 noting that "from that day on they planned together to kill" Jesus and now they determined they had to add Lazarus to their hit list. Planned (bouleuo) indicates that the leaders thought carefully about what was transpiring and concluded they must snuff out the one whose life was giving powerful testimony to the supernatural power of Jesus. While Lazarus clearly would die a second time in the future, he was in imminent danger of dying twice if the religious leaders had their will and way! However John never gives us any follow-up, but presumably had Lazarus been killed he would have mentioned it (cp, the murder of John the Baptist, Mt 14:10, Mk 6:27-29). John MacArthur makes an interesting observation regarding Lazarus - He was an undeniable testimony to the Lord's messianic claims. Not only that, a resurrected man was also an embarrassment to the Sadducees in another way: they denied the resurrection of the dead (Mt. 22:23), and he was an undeniable refutation of that error. Unable to counter the incontrovertible testimony Lazarus provided by being alive, they sought to destroy the evidence by killing him. (See John Commentary) Gotquestions on chief priests - The chief priests and high priest were Sadducees, and they held the majority of seats in the Sanhedrin. Rod Mattoon - In John 11:50+, it is determined that Jesus must die. This was not enough for the Sadducees, however. Lazarus has also got to go! The Sadducees were embarrassed by Lazarus. They did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, yet, he was living proof of it. They were threatened theologically and politically. Lazarus proved their teachings were false. Their power, influence, and credibility were fading away because their teachings were unfounded. When you preach or teach something that is proven untrue, it robs you of your credibility.....The Sadducees wanted to suppress the truth to further their own self interests. Leon

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Spurgeon - They would have committed a double murder if it had been possible, and would have put to death both Jesus and Lazarus, who was a living witness to the wonder-working power of the Christ whom they would not receive as the promised Messiah. When men hate Christ, they also hate those whom he has blessed, and will go to any lengths in seeking to silence their testimony. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Planned (purposed, resolved)(1011) bouleuo from boule = counsel, will) means to take counsel, to deliberate, to resolve in counsel, think carefully about. It is only found in the middle voice (reflexive) and conveys the meaning of to consult, determine, deliberate with oneself or with one another in counsel. Bouleuo - 5x - onsider(1), planned(1), planned together(1), purpose(2), resolved(1). Lk. 14:31; Jn. 11:53; Jn. 12:10; Acts 27:39; 2 Co. 1:17 John 12:11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus. KJV John 12:11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus. NET John 12:11 for on account of him many of the Jewish people from Jerusalem were going away and believing in Jesus. CSB John 12:11 because he was the reason many of the Jews were deserting them and believing in Jesus. ESV John 12:11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. NIV John 12:11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him. NLT John 12:11 for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them and believed in Jesus. NRS John 12:11 since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus. NJB John 12:11 since it was on his account that many of the Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus. NAB John 12:11 because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him. YLT John 12:11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away, and were believing in Jesus. MIT John 12:11 because on account of him many Jews were withdrawing from their influence and were believing in Jesus. Jn 12:18 Jn 11:45,48 15:18-25 Ac 13:45 Jas 3:14-16 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries REASON LAZARUS' LIFE WAS IN JEOPARDY Because - Term of explanation. Always pause and ask what is the writer explaining. Most often it is relatively easy to discern as in this case. On account of him ("because of him") many of the Jews (Ioudaios) were going away (hupago - imperfect, began to withdraw as in Jn 6:67+; NLT - "had deserted them") and were believing (pisteuo - imperfect tense) in Jesus - The Jews (Ioudaios) in this context refers to the laity, not the evil Jewish leaders. As noted above many Jews came to see the miracle man for "seeing is believing." In this case, the effect of the resurrected/resuscitated man was profound, resulting in not a few but many believing in Jesus as Messiah. Notice that their belief was not in a miracle (they had witnessed a living Lazarus) but in the living Lord Who had performed the miracle. A T

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Spurgeon - It is significant that John is the only one of the four Evangelists who mentions the palm fronds that were carried by the people in this triumphal procession in honour of Christ, and it was to John that the vision was given of the “great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues,” who “stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands, and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” (Rev 7:9-10+) (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) And went out to meet Him - John uses a rare noun hupantesis for to meet Him, only found 3 times in the NT. What a contrast with the use in Mk 8:34 when the "whole city went out to meet Him" and "implored Him to leave their region," for He had just cast demons into swine which drowned resulting in financial loss. In Mt 25:1+ it is used of the 10 virgins "who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom," which of course speaks of continually be alert for Jesus' Second Coming. There is one sad use of hupantesis in the Septuagint in Jdg 11:34+ where Jephthah's daughter came out to meet him so that he would have to fill his vow and potentially sacrifice his daughter (see discussion). Dictionary of Biblical Imagery: The palm tree produces large leaves, or fronds. These fronds found use in the religious ceremonies of ancient Israel. On the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, worshipers celebrated with the fruit of trees, leafy branches, poplars and the frond of the palm, all symbolizing the fertility of harvest. The booths in which the Israelites were to live during the festival were constructed of palm leaves, as well as branches from other trees (Neh 8:15). In the NT Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem took on the shape of a religious festival as the crowds waved palm branches in acclamation (Jn 12:13). (See online Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, page 430) NET NOTE on branches - The Mosaic law stated (Lev 23:40) that branches of palm trees were to be used to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles. Later on they came to be used to celebrate other feasts as well ( 1 Macc. 13:51, 2 Macc. 10:7). A T

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Spurgeon: May this day be to your spirits a day of palms and psalms, of prayers and praises, of Hallelujahs and Hosannas. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Bob

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Spurgeon reminds us that "Behold is a word of wonder; it is intended to excite admiration. Wherever you see it hung out in Scripture, it is like an ancient sign-board, signifying that there are rich wares within, or like the hands which solid readers have observed in the margin of the older Puritanic books, drawing attention to something particularly worthy of observation." I would add, behold is like a divine highlighter, a divine underlining of an especially striking or important text. It says in effect "Listen up, all ye who would be wise in the ways of Jehovah!" King (935) basileus occurs throughout Greek literature, including the Septuagint (e.g., Genesis 14:1; Exodus 1:8; Judges 3:8; et al.), with the same meaning, i.e., “a king.” It is used 118 times in the New Testament. It refers to secular rulers such as kings and emperors: Herod (Matthew 2:1), David (Matthew 1:6), Agrippa (Acts 25:13), Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:1), and kings in general (1 Timothy 2:2). Basileus refers to divine rulers: God (Matthew 5:35); Christ, as King in general (Luke 23:2), as King of kings (1 Timothy 6:15), as King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2), as King of Israel (Matthew 27:42), and as King of saints (Revelation 15:3). Among the church fathers, Christ was also referred to as King of all creation, and King of the Church; and the Holy Spirit was referred to as King. Among the secular writers basileus was used to refer to pagan deities such as Zeus. Basileus also is used in the New Testament to refer to the saints who will rule and reign with Christ (Revelation 5:10), and to evil powers such as Abaddon (Revelation 9:11; cf. Abaddōn [3]). See 7 Page Discussion of King, Kingship in Dictionary of Biblical Imagery page 1624 See 19 Page Discussion of King in The New International Dictionary Of New Testament Theology page 372 QUESTION - What is the significance of the triumphal entry? WATCH VIDEO ANSWER - The triumphal entry is that of Jesus coming into Jerusalem on what we know as Palm Sunday, the Sunday before the crucifixion (John 12:1, 12). The story of the triumphal entry is one of the few incidents in the life of Jesus which appears in all four Gospel accounts (Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19). Putting the four accounts together, it becomes clear that the triumphal entry was a significant event, not only to the people of Jesus’ day, but to Christians throughout history. We celebrate Palm Sunday to remember that momentous occasion. On that day, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a borrowed donkey’s colt, one that had never been ridden before. The disciples spread their cloaks on the donkey for Jesus to sit on, and the multitudes came out to welcome Him, laying before Him their cloaks and the branches of palm trees. The people hailed and praised Him as the “King who comes in the name of the Lord” as He rode to the temple, where He taught the people, healed them, and drove out the money-changers and merchants who had made His Father’s house a “den of robbers” (Mark 11:17). Jesus’ purpose in riding into Jerusalem was to make public His claim to be their Messiah and King of Israel in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Matthew says that the King coming on the foal of a donkey was an exact fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Jesus rides into His capital city as a conquering King and is hailed by the people as such, in the manner of the day. The streets of Jerusalem, the royal city, are open to Him, and like a king He ascends to His palace, not a temporal palace but the spiritual palace that is the temple, because His is a spiritual kingdom. He receives the worship and praise of the people because only He deserves it. No longer does He tell His disciples to be quiet about Him (Matthew 12:16, 16:20) but to shout His praises and worship Him openly. The spreading of cloaks was an act of homage for royalty (see 2 Kings 9:13). Jesus was openly declaring to the people that He was their King and the Messiah they had been waiting for. Unfortunately, the praise the people lavished on Jesus was not because they recognized Him as their Savior from sin. They welcomed Him out of their desire for a messianic deliverer, someone who would lead them in a revolt against Rome. There were many who, though they did not believe in Christ as Savior, nevertheless hoped that perhaps He would be to them a great temporal deliverer. These are the ones who hailed Him as King with their many hosannas, recognizing Him as the Son of David who came in the name of the Lord. But when He failed in their expectations, when He refused to lead them in a massive revolt against the Roman occupiers, the crowds quickly turned on Him. Within just a few days, their hosannas would change to cries of “Crucify Him!” (Luke 23:20-21). Those who hailed Him as a hero would soon reject and abandon Him. The story of the triumphal entry is one of contrasts, and those contrasts contain applications to believers. It is the story of the King who came as a lowly servant on a donkey, not a prancing steed, not in royal robes, but on the clothes of the poor and humble. Jesus Christ comes not to conquer by force as earthly kings but by love, grace, mercy, and His own sacrifice for His people. His is not a kingdom of armies and splendor but of lowliness and servanthood. He conquers not nations but hearts and minds. His message is one of peace with God, not of temporal peace. If Jesus has made a triumphal entry into our hearts, He reigns there in peace and love. As His followers, we exhibit those same qualities, and the world sees the true King living and reigning in triumph in us. QUESTION - What does it mean that Jesus is the King of the Jews ANSWER - Jesus is referred to as the King of the Jews two times in His earthly life: at His birth by the wise men (Matthew 2:2) and at His trial and subsequent crucifixion (Mark 15:2). All four gospels record the words “King of the Jews” as part of Pilate’s instructions to the angry mob (Matthew 27:37; Mark 15:9; Luke 23:38; John 19:3) and Pilate’s direct address to Jesus (Matthew 27:11; Mark 15:2; Luke 23:3; John 18:33). It is interesting that only non-Jews used this specific title to describe Jesus, underscoring the truth of John 1:11, which says, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” The title King of the Jews had both messianic and political implications. Kings in Israel were anointed with oil as a sign of God’s choosing (see 1 Kings 1:39), and the meaning of Messiah is “Anointed One.” As the Son of David, the Messiah was chosen by God to fulfill the Davidic Covenant and rule on the throne in Jerusalem. When the magi came to Jerusalem seeking the King of the Jews, they most likely had in mind a future political leader, much to King Herod’s chagrin. But the Jews in Jerusalem, hearing the magi’s question, would have thought of the long-awaited Messiah. In Mark 15:32 some mockingly call Jesus the “King of Israel” and associate the title with “Christ” (“Messiah”). What they meant as jeering scorn—what kind of king would be hanging on a cross?—was, ironically, the exact truth. Jesus was the King of Israel, and He was on the cross to save them from their sins. The sign that Pilate posted over Jesus on the cross identified the “criminal” in three languages: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” (John 19:19). The Jewish leaders objected to the application of a Messianic title to Jesus: “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews” (verse 21). For reasons he kept to himself, Pilate refused to alter the sign (verse 22), which was another ironic statement of truth. During the trial of Jesus, Pilate had asked Him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” (Mark 15:2). Jesus answered, “It is as you say” (NASB). Later, Jesus expanded on the idea of His being a king: “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place” (John 18:36). The King of the Jews was rejected by Israel, but there is a broader spiritual kingdom that He still ruled. After the conversation about Jesus’ kingship, Pilate turns to the crowd and asks, “Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?” (John 18:39). In no uncertain terms, the crowd shouts their answer: “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” (verse 40). Pilate then allows the soldiers to give Jesus a beating, during which they clothe Jesus as a king, mock Him with cries of “Hail, king of the Jews!” and repeatedly slap Him in the face (John 19:3). After the mockery, Pilate again presents Jesus to the crowd as the King of the Jews: “Here is your king,” he says (verse 14). In response they shout, “‘Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!’ ‘Shall I crucify your king?’ Pilate asked. ‘We have no king but Caesar,’ the chief priests answered” (verse 15). Their choice had been made, and Jesus, their true king, was led away to be crucified (verse 16). Some people during Jesus’ ministry recognized Jesus as the King of the Jews. As Jesus neared Jerusalem the final time, the crowd with Him “thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once” (Luke 19:11). In other words, they believed Jesus was the King of the Jews, and they were ready to help Him set up the earthly kingdom. Jesus told a parable indicating that the kingdom would be delayed (verses 12–27), but the crowd’s enthusiasm did not wane. As He entered Jerusalem, Jesus was greeted with shouts of welcome for the King of the Jews: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (verse 38). God’s people had been expecting a deliverer since God first promised one in Genesis 3:15. God Himself unified the Hebrews under Moses and told them that, as long as they followed and obeyed Him, He would bless and guide them (Deuteronomy 11:8–9; 27:9–10). But the children of Israel rejected the Lord as their leader and demanded an earthly king (1 Samuel 8:7, 19). God gave them what they wanted and appointed Saul as the first king over Israel (1 Samuel 9:17). When Saul disobeyed the Lord, he was then rejected by God, and his sons were not allowed to succeed him on the throne (1 Samuel 15:9–11, 23, 28). Instead, God chose David to be the next king of the Jews (1 Samuel 16:1). God promised David that his name would be forever associated with the throne of Israel (2 Samuel 7:12–16). Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David penned the prophetic Psalm 22, which gave Israel hints about what their future Messiah and Deliverer would endure. But, in their desperation for an earthly king and an earthly kingdom, most of the Jews disregarded those prophetic words as well as the ones in Isaiah 53. When Jesus came, He fulfilled those prophecies. Importantly, He was from the royal line of David (Matthew 1:1; John 7:42) and could rightly take the title King of the Jews, but because Jesus was not what they wanted, “his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11, ESV). A king is a supreme ruler. When the Jews clamored for a king in Samuel’s day, they were rejecting God as their Supreme Ruler (1 Samuel 8:7). Because of their hard hearts, He allowed them temporary kings. But this led to bondage and their destruction as a nation, highlighting the reality that what they wanted was not what they needed. The kingdom was divided after King Solomon’s rule, and both parts of the divided kingdom eventually fell to foreign enemies. Jerusalem was destroyed at least twice, once by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 25:8–10) and again by the Romans under Titus in AD 70. The Jews who rejected their true King were scattered among the nations for centuries until 1948. Isaiah 11 announced that one day a “shoot from the stem of Jesse” (verse 1) would come and set the world to rights. The Jews have long interpreted such prophecies as foretelling an earthly king for Israel. We understand Jesus to be that King; however, God had bigger plans than just an earthly kingdom. He never resigned Himself to Israel’s rejection of His kingship, but rather used their rejection of Him as an opportunity to demonstrate His love for the whole world (John 3:16). The Son of God took on human flesh, came in the form of a servant, and showed His people what a real Deliverer was like (Philippians 2:5–11; Mark 10:44). Because this King of the Jews did not fit the ideas they had cherished for thousands of years, the Jews again rejected the One they needed. Many Jews are still waiting for the wrong kind of king. Revelation 19:16 describes the day when Jesus will return to rule over the earth. At that time, the ancient prophecies of an earthly kingdom of God will be fulfilled, and no one will doubt that Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Every nation, tribe, and tongue will bow to the King of the Jews (1 Timothy 6:14–16; Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10; Revelation 5:9). Related Resources: Why do most Jews reject Jesus as the Messiah? Is Jesus the Messiah? QUESTION - What does the Bible mean when it refers to a “Daughter of Zion? ANSWER - The “daughter of Zion” is mentioned several times in the Old Testament, usually in prophecy and once in poetry. “Zion” meant Jerusalem and, later, Israel as the people of God. “Daughter of Zion,” then, does not refer to a specific person. It’s a metaphor for Israel and the loving, caring, patient relationship God has with His chosen people. (SEE What is Zion? What is Mount Zion?) As a representation of the people of Israel, the daughter of Zion is described in several different situations: 2 Kings 19:21: A people confident in the deliverance of their God. When Assyria threatened Jerusalem, King Hezekiah went to the Lord. In response, God sent Isaiah to reassure Hezekiah that Jerusalem would not fall to Assyria, and God considered the threatening insult to “the virgin daughter of Zion” as a personal affront to Himself. Isaiah 1:8: A hut, abandoned after judgment came to an evil family. Here, Isaiah compares the rebellion of Judah to a sick body in a devastated land. The daughter of Zion is left as a lone remnant—a shelter hidden in the vineyard or a hut in a cucumber field that barely escaped destruction. Jeremiah 4:31: A woman in labor, helpless before attackers. The steadfastness of Hezekiah was rare in Judah—most kings encouraged rebellion against God instead of loyalty to God. Jeremiah warns that if the nation does not turn away from evil, God will punish them severely. And the people will be helpless against it—as helpless as a woman in labor. Isaiah 62:11: A people awaiting salvation. After the punishment of exile, God promises restoration to Israel. He will rejoice over His chosen people again. And in verse 11, He promises the daughter of Zion, “Lo, your salvation comes; behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.” Micah 4:13: A bull that threshes his enemies. In verse 10, God warns that the daughter of Zion will suffer as much as a woman in labor. But in verse 13, He promises vengeance. The weak, powerless woman will become a bull with horns of iron and hoofs of bronze that will crush its enemies. Zechariah 9:9: A land awaiting its king. This prophecy promises Israel’s enemies will be destroyed, but also speaks about a more permanent solution to the problem of sin. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Should in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; he is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Despite the consistent rebellion of the daughter of Zion against her Father, He promises to restore her and present her with a Deliverer-King in the form of Jesus. Daughter implies that God is a loving father. He cherishes and loves His people, even while they reject Him. By using the metaphor “daughter of Zion,” God showed how He felt for the rebellious Israelites: frustrated, angry, but always with an eye to the future when the relationship would be restored, and He could once again return to them and welcome them into His arms (Zechariah 2:10). Greg Laurie notes that "CHARLES DICKENS created one of literature’s most memorable first lines when, in his novel A Tale of Two Cities, he wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” He was writing about the French Revolution, but he might as well have been describing the events surrounding Jesus’ final visit to Jerusalem (Ed: As the crowd went from the "best" Hosanna to the "worst" Crucify Him). (BORROW Every day with Jesus: First Steps for New Believers) Fickle Followers Behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt. —John 12:15 Today's Scripture: John 12:12-19; 19:14-16 How quickly public opinion can change! When Jesus entered Jerusalem for the Passover feast, He was welcomed by crowds cheering to have Him made king (John 12:13). But by the end of the week, the crowds were demanding that He be crucified (19:15). I recognize myself in those fickle crowds. I love cheering for a team that’s winning, but my interest wanes when they start losing. I love being part of a movement that is new and exciting, but when the energy moves to a new part of town, I’m ready to move on. I love following Jesus when He is doing the impossible, but I slink away when He expects me to do something difficult. It’s exciting to follow Jesus when I can do it as part of the “in” crowd. It’s easy to trust Him when He outsmarts the smart people and outmaneuvers the people in power (see Matt. 12:10; 22:15-46). But when He begins to talk about suffering and sacrifice and death, I hesitate. I like to think that I would have followed Jesus all the way to the cross—but I have my doubts. After all, if I don’t speak up for Him in places where it’s safe, what makes me think I would do so in a crowd of His opponents? For Further Thought Read these Bible verses and ponder Jesus’ love for you (Rom. 5:8; Rom. 8:37-39; Heb. 13:5-6,8; 1 John 3:1). Allow your devotion to Him to grow. Christ deserves full-time followers. John 12:16 These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. BGT John 12:16 ταῦτα οὐκ ἔγνωσαν αὐτοῦ οἱ μαθηταὶ τὸ πρῶτον, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε ἐδοξάσθη Ἰησοῦς τότε ἐμνήσθησαν ὅτι ταῦτα ἦν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ γεγραμμένα καὶ ταῦτα ἐποίησαν αὐτῷ. KJV John 12:16 These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him. NET John 12:16 (His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him and that these things had happened to him.) CSB John 12:16 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. ESV John 12:16 His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. NIV John 12:16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him. NLT John 12:16 His disciples didn't understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him. NRS John 12:16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him. NJB John 12:16 At first his disciples did not understand this, but later, after Jesus had been glorified, they remembered that this had been written about him and that this was what had happened to him. NAB John 12:16 His disciples did not understand this at first, but when Jesus had been glorified they remembered that these things were written about him and that they had done this for him. YLT John 12:16 And these things his disciples did not know at the first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were having been written about him, and these things they did to him. MIT John 12:16 His disciples did not understand these allusions at the time, but when Jesus was glorified, they remembered that these things were written about him, and that they had implemented them for him. understand: Lu 9:45 18:34 24:25,45 but when: Jn 12:23 7:39 13:31,32 17:5 Mk 16:19 Ac 2:33,36 3:13 Heb 8:1 12:2 then: Jn 2:22, Jn 14:26, Jn 16:4 Lu 24:6-8 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: John 12:23 And Jesus *answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. John 13:31 Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus *said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; John 2:22+ So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken. John 14:26 “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 that I said to you. John 16:4 “But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. John 16:13-15 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 “All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you. Luke 24:6-8+ “He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, 7saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” 8And they remembered His words, SLOW LEARNERS WOULD REMEMBER These things - Whenever you see a phrase like "these things" pause and ask "What things?" This will usually force you to examine the previous context and overall will add to your understanding of the passage. As an aside, in the NAS, the phrase "these things" occurs 287x/272v and 45x/41v in the Gospel of John - Jn. 1:28; Jn. 2:16; Jn. 2:18; Jn. 3:9; Jn. 3:10; Jn. 3:22; Jn. 5:1; Jn. 5:16; Jn. 5:19; Jn. 5:34; Jn. 6:1; Jn. 6:59; Jn. 7:1; Jn. 7:4; Jn. 7:9; Jn. 7:32; Jn. 8:28; Jn. 8:30; Jn. 9:40; Jn. 11:43; Jn. 12:16; Jn. 12:36; Jn. 12:41; Jn. 13:17; Jn. 14:25; Jn. 15:11; Jn. 15:21; Jn. 16:1; Jn. 16:3; Jn. 16:4; Jn. 16:6; Jn. 16:25; Jn. 16:33; Jn. 17:1; Jn. 17:13; Jn. 19:25; Jn. 19:36; Jn. 19:38; Jn. 20:18; Jn. 21:1; Jn. 21:24 His disciples (mathetes) (ou = absolutely) did not understand (ginosko) at the first (protos) - (cf. Jn 2:22; Jn 10:6; Jn 16:18; Mk 9:32; Lk 2:50; Lk 9:45; Lk 18:34) Spiritual truth can only be spiritually discerned and the disciples were still a little short on spiritual insights, but that would soon dramatically change! It is ironic that disciples (mathetes) means learners, and clearly the 12 were "slow learners!" Jesus would soon teach the disciples in the Upper Room Discourse that "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 that I said to you." (Jn 14:26+). After His resurrection, Luke records "Now He (THE RESURRECTED LORD) said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures" (Lk 24:44-45+). And then He ascended (Lk 24:50) Spurgeon - It is strange that Christ’s own disciples did not at once remember this plain prophecy when it was so literally fulfilled, yet, before we condemn them, let us recollect how “slow of heart” we also have been “to believe all that the prophets have spoken.”......I wonder whether, when Christ comes back to earth, in the glory of his Father with the holy angels, we also shall not understand a great many things which are complete mysteries to us now. Peradventure, it will be said of us then, “These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.” That first glory of his ascension to heaven shed a flood of light upon the life of Christ, as doubtless the greater glory of his second advent will shed a yet brighter light upon our understanding of the things of Christ which quite surpass our comprehension now. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) But when - This is an important combination of a term of contrast and a time phrase, marking the time when the "spiritual blinders" came off of the eyes of the disciples. The Spirit opened their eyes to behold wonderful things in the Word (cf Ps 119:18). One is reminded of Jesus words describing timing of the Spirit's ministry in John 7:37-39+ Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. But when Jesus was glorified (doxazo) then they remembered (mimnesko) that these things were written (grapho in perfect tense = stand written) of Him - What things? Clearly referring to His "triumphal entry" which had been written of Him in Zechariah's prophecy (Zech 9:9). They would begin to "put two and two together." When? When Jesus was glorified. When Jesus was glorified is clearly not only referring to the Cross, but the events following the Cross including burial, resurrection, and ascension. Why? Because it was not until Jesus ascended that the Spirit was sent, and it would take the Spirit to open their mind to understand the things that had previously happened to Jesus. And that they had done these things to Him - The third use of these things, here referring to the loud proclamations of "Hosanna" and acclamations of Jesus as "King." Rod Mattoon - The disciples did not understand the significance of these events, but will later on. Beloved, God is working, even though we don’t understand our own circumstances. Many times, understanding of our circumstances comes later with the passing of time. John 12:17 So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him. BGT John 12:17 ἐμαρτύρει οὖν ὁ ὄχλος ὁ ὢν μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ ὅτε τὸν Λάζαρον ἐφώνησεν ἐκ τοῦ μνημείου καὶ ἤγειρεν αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν. KJV John 12:17 The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. NET John 12:17 So the crowd who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify about it. CSB John 12:17 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. ESV John 12:17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. NIV John 12:17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. NLT John 12:17 Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. NRS John 12:17 So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify. NJB John 12:17 The crowd who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead kept bearing witness to it; NAB John 12:17 So the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from death continued to testify. YLT John 12:17 The multitude, therefore, who are with him, were testifying that he called Lazarus out of the tomb, and did raise him out of the dead; MIT John 12:17 The group who had been with him when he called Lazarus from his tomb and raised him from the dead was testifying about him. people: Jn 12:9 11:31,45,46 Ps 145:6,7 continued to testify: Jn 1:19,32,34 5:35-39 8:13,14 15:26,27 19:35 21:24 Ac 1:22 5:32 1Jn 5:9-12 Rev 1:2 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE "LAZARUS EFFECT" So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised (egeiro) from the dead (nekros) - This is the third mention of raising Lazarus from the dead in John 12 (Jn 12:1, 9, 17), so this is clearly a key thought. These were those who had been present at the tomb when Jesus called Lazarus forth and clearly had left a striking impression on all who witnessed this miracle. Continued to testify (martureo) about Him - Testify is the first word in the Greek text which places emphasis on this action by the people. The imperfect tense pictures them testifying again and again that the One riding in on the donkey was the very One Who had called Lazarus to life. They are giving witness about Jesus which was a result of the "Lazarus effect." Rod Mattoon - Those who witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus gave witness to this fact. We too, are to bare record of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for mankind and for us personally. Bruce - One who could summon a dead man back to life would certainly be able to deliver the holy city from the yoke of Caesar John 12:18 For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign. BGT John 12:18 διὰ τοῦτο [καὶ] ὑπήντησεν αὐτῷ ὁ ὄχλος, ὅτι ἤκουσαν τοῦτο αὐτὸν πεποιηκέναι τὸ σημεῖον. KJV John 12:18 For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. NET John 12:18 Because they had heard that Jesus had performed this miraculous sign, the crowd went out to meet him. CSB John 12:18 This is also why the crowd met Him, because they heard He had done this sign. ESV John 12:18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. NIV John 12:18 Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. NLT John 12:18 That was the reason so many went out to meet him-- because they had heard about this miraculous sign. NRS John 12:18 It was also because they heard that he had performed this sign that the crowd went to meet him. NJB John 12:18 this was another reason why the crowd came out to receive him: they had heard that he had given this sign. NAB John 12:18 This was (also) why the crowd went to meet him, because they heard that he had done this sign. YLT John 12:18 because of this also did the multitude meet him, because they heard of his having done this sign, MIT John 12:18 For this reason a crowd that had heard about his doing this miraculous sign met up with him. John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE LAZARUS SIGN DRAWS PEOPLE For this reason - This begs the question "What reason?" What had the people with Him doing in the previous verse? They clearly were broadcasting the news that this was the One Who performed the miraculous sign. Also the people went and met Him - These were presumably the pilgrims who had come to the feast and wanted to see the "Miracle Man." because they heard that He had performed this sign (semeion) - They heard refers to the impact of those who continued to testify in v17. John 12:19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him." BGT John 12:19 οἱ οὖν Φαρισαῖοι εἶπαν πρὸς ἑαυτούς· θεωρεῖτε ὅτι οὐκ ὠφελεῖτε οὐδέν· ἴδε ὁ κόσμος ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ἀπῆλθεν. KJV John 12:19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him. NET John 12:19 Thus the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you can do nothing. Look, the world has run off after him!" CSB John 12:19 Then the Pharisees said to one another, "You see? You've accomplished nothing. Look-- the world has gone after Him!" ESV John 12:19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him." NIV John 12:19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!" NLT John 12:19 Then the Pharisees said to each other, "There's nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!" NRS John 12:19 The Pharisees then said to one another, "You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!" NJB John 12:19 Then the Pharisees said to one another, 'You see, you are making no progress; look, the whole world has gone after him!' NAB John 12:19 So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the whole world has gone after him." YLT John 12:19 the Pharisees, therefore, said among themselves, 'Ye see that ye do not gain anything, lo, the world did go after him.' MIT John 12:19 Within the Pharisaic cabal, they said, "You see nothing does any good in stopping him. Take a good look. The world has gone wild over him." You see: Jn 11:47-50 Mt 21:15 Lu 19:47,48 Ac 4:16,17 5:27,28 the world: Jn 3:26 17:21 Ps 22:27 49:1 Isa 27:6 Ac 17:6 1Jn 2:2 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: John 11:48+ “If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” John 11:51-52+ (CAIAPHAS' "PROPHECY" SIMILAR TO PHARISEES "PROPHECY") Now he (CAIAPHAS) did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. Matthew 21:15+ (THIS EVENT OCCURRED IN THE TEMPLE AND IS THE SECOND TIME THE PHARISEES SOUGHT TO SHUT DOWN HIS PRAISE. THE FIRST TIME WAS AS HE WAS ENTERING THE CITY - see Lk 19:39-40+) But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant 16) and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus *said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF’?” Luke 19:47-48+ And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, 48 and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging on to every word He said. PHARISEES PERCEIVE THEY COULD NOT STOP JESUS' POPULARITY So (oun - term of conclusion) the Pharisees (pharisaios) said to one another, "You see (theoreo) that you are not doing any good (opheleo) - NIV = "See, this is getting us nowhere" NLT = "We've lost." ICB = "You can see that nothing is going right for us." Not doing any good (opheleo) means they began to realize that they were unsuccessful in accomplishing their goal of killing Jesus in view of this groundswell of popularity. As we often here in football games, the momentum had shifted to "Team Jesus!" In short, the religious leaders were "losing it" and beside themselves! A T Robertson on you are not doing any good - It was a pathetic confession of failure because the rest of the plotters had bungled the whole thing. "Ye help nothing at all" by your plots and plans. Look (ide), the world (kosmos) has gone after (Literally, is gone away) Him - This hyperbolic statement by the religious leaders would also prove to be a "prophecy," for both Jews and Gentiles would go after Jesus. In fact in the following context, some Greeks wanted to see Jesus (Jn 12:20-21) indicating that in one sense the "prophecy" by the Pharisees (see above for "prophecy" by Caiaphas) was in fact beginning to be fulfilled. The greater and more significant fulfillment of their "prophecy" of course would be when the Gospel went to and was received by the Gentiles. (cf Cornelius in Acts 10:1-34, 35+; Paul's sermon at Pisidian Antioch in Acts 13:46-48+) A T Robertson on Look, the world (kosmos) has gone after Him - Exclamatory use of ide and timeless aorist active indicative of aperchomai. The "world" is a bunch of fools, they feel, but see for yourselves. And the Sanhedrin had advertised to "find" Jesus! They can find him now! Spurgeon - When they saw our Lord riding in state through the streets, and the people waving palm branches and shouting in his honour, they said, “The world is gone after him.” That was only very partially true, and for a very short time; but the day will come when the whole world shall go after him Christ’s divine attractions shall be felt throughout the earth, and all the Pharisees then in the world will not be able to prevent the people from going after him; and- “Come what may To stand in the way That day the world shall see.” (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Tasker - “The Pharisees were of course exaggerating, but the words the world is gone after him (John 12:19), like the words of Caiaphas in John 11:50, were unconsciously prophetic. Indeed, they received a partial fulfillment almost at once in the desire expressed by certain Greek proselytes, who had come to the festival to see Jesus. The evangelist does not tell us whether the Greeks in question were interviewed by Jesus, but he records that as soon as Philip and Andrew reported to Him the wish of these men to see Him, He announced that the HOUR for His own glorification in death had come. His sacrifice alone would open up the Kingdom of Heaven to ALL believers, Greeks as well as Jews. It would bring within the flock....the elect children of God at present scattered throughout heathen lands and enable them all to enjoy eternal life. (BORROW The Gospel according to St. John PAGE 148) Warren

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Spurgeon - No doubt many of his disciples thought so too, yet how mistaken were both the friends and the foes of Christ, for you recollect, brothers and sisters, that Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem was followed, within less than a week, by a far different scene, when the same crowd that cried “Hosanna!” shouted “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” The world, that was supposed to have gone after him, nailed him to the cross; so short-lived is human popularity. So short-lived also is the admiration of Christ by carnal minds, for they do admire him after a fashion, they cannot help doing so. There have been written lives of Christ, which have been full of admiration of him, yet equally full of opposition to his Deity. We must not always regard it as an encouraging sign when men praise Christ; for very soon, if the root of the matter be not in them, and they do not accept him as their Lord and Master, they will change their note, and instead of “Hosanna!” it will be “Away with him, crucify him!” (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) See (behold, look, observe, watch) (2334) theoreo from theaomai = to look at closely or attentively or contemplatively - even with a sense of wonder; cp theoros = a spectator) (Gives us English = theater, theorize) usually refers to physical sight but can also refer to perception and understanding. It is used primarily, not of an indifferent spectator, but of one who looks at a thing with interest and for a purpose. It means to gaze, to look with interest and purpose, to carefully examine with emphasis on or attention to details. To behold intensely or attentively. Our English word scrutinize conveys this sense, for it means to examine closely and minutely. To be a spectator and thus to understand or perceive. To contemplate (Heb 13:7). Theoreo in some contexts can include the idea of to behold with amazement. For example, in Mark 5:15 theoreo is not translated merely "see" but "observe" for as

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Spurgeon - Morning and Evening - "We would see Jesus." — John 12:21 Evermore the worldling's cry is, "Who will show us any good?" He seeks satisfaction in earthly comforts, enjoyments, and riches. But the quickened sinner knows of only one good. "O that I knew where I might find HIM!" When he is truly awakened to feel his guilt, if you could pour the gold of India at his feet, he would say, "Take it away: I want to find HIM." It is a blessed thing for a man, when he has brought his desires into a focus, so that they all centre in one object. When he has fifty different desires, his heart resembles a mere of stagnant water, spread out into a marsh, breeding miasma and pestilence; but when all his desires are brought into one channel, his heart becomes like a river of pure water, running swiftly to fertilize the fields. Happy is he who hath one desire, if that one desire be set on Christ, though it may not yet have been realized. If Jesus be a soul's desire, it is a blessed sign of divine work within. Such a man will never be content with mere ordinances. He will say, "I want Christ; I must have him-mere ordinances are of no use to me; I want himself; do not offer me these; you offer me the empty pitcher, while I am dying of thirst; give me water, or I die. Jesus is my soul's desire. I would see Jesus!" Is this thy condition, my reader, at this moment? Hast thou but one desire, and is that after Christ? Then thou art not far from the kingdom of heaven. Hast thou but one wish in thy heart, and that one wish that thou mayst be washed from all thy sins in Jesus' blood? Canst thou really say, "I would give all I have to be a Christian; I would give up everything I have and hope for, if I might but feel that I have an interest in Christ?" Then, despite all thy fears, be of good cheer, the Lord loveth thee, and thou shalt come out into daylight soon, and rejoice in the liberty wherewith Christ makes men free. P G Matthew - In John 12, we read about some Greeks who were in Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. They were among the many people, Jews as well as Gentiles, from throughout the Roman Empire who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover festival and worship at the temple. No doubt they had also heard many reports about Jesus, including the recent news that he had raised Lazarus of Bethany from the dead. Accordingly, they came to one of Jesus’ disciples, Philip, with a request: “Sir, we have a great desire to see Jesus.” Though they were not Jews, these God-fearing Greeks wanted to see Jesus. They approached Philip, probably because he was from Bethsaida, which bordered their own Gentile towns, and because Philip was probably bilingual and spoke the Greek language. When Philip heard the request of the Greeks, he went to another apostle, Andrew, and together they took the inquiry of these Gentiles to Jesus. The apostle John presents Philip as a person like us—of just average intelligence and not much of a problem-solver. It was Philip who would say to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” What was Jesus’ response? Jesus mildly rebuked Philip, saying, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Nevertheless, I am glad that Jesus deliberately chose Philip, for it gives us hope. Philip was certainly a Mr. Ordinary, but the Lord Jesus Christ chose him, Mr. Ordinary, as his apostle. Let me assure you, God delights to do great things through ordinary people. He chooses the nobodies of the world and makes them into somebodies for his own purpose and glory. What is God’s purpose for us? There are Greeks in our time crying out, “We would like to meet with Jesus, the friend of sinners and publicans.” They are crying out to us, who are the Philips and Andrews of this world—average, ordinary Christians, disciples of Christ. But though we are ordinary and average, God has given us a profound mission: As the light of the world, we have an obligation to bring these Gentiles to meet their Savior. QUESTION - Who was Philip in the Bible? ANSWER - There are four different men named Philip mentioned in the Bible. Phillip was the name of two of King Herod the Great’s sons by different wives (Luke 3:1 and Matthew 14:3). The other two Philips in the Bible were servants of Christ and instrumental in the early church: Philip the disciple and apostle of Christ, and Philip the evangelist. The disciple named Philip was, along with Peter and Andrew, from Bethsaida in Galilee (John 1:44; 12:21). Jesus called Philip, who had been a disciple of John the Baptist’s (John 1:43), and then Philip went and found Nathanael and told him about Jesus. Nathanael also became Jesus’ disciple. The Bible does not contain much biographical detail about Philip or any of the other disciples, but John records several times when Philip spoke to Jesus. Philip’s first recorded act as a disciple of Jesus was to go and tell his friend Nathanael. Later, Philip was approached by some Gentiles, more specifically, Greeks from Bethsaida who asked Philip to introduce them to Jesus (John 12:20–22). Philip was the disciple who calculated the amount of money it would take to feed the 5,000 (John 6:7). After the Last Supper, Philip requested that Jesus show them the Father, leading to Jesus’ statement, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:8–9). The last time the Bible mentions the disciple Philip is as one of those gathered in Jerusalem to pray after the Lord’s ascension (Acts 1:13). Tradition states that Philip went to Phrygia (in modern-day Turkey) as a missionary and was martyred there in Hierapolis. The other Philip is usually distinguished from the disciple of the same name by calling him “Philip the evangelist” or “Philip the deacon.” It is often assumed that this Philip was one of the seventy-two men whom Jesus sent out in Luke 10:1, although the Bible doesn’t make that connection. We do know that Philip was one of the original seven deacons selected to serve in the Jerusalem church (Acts 6:5). Philip had a heart for evangelism, and, when the “great persecution” arose in Acts 8:1, Philip left Jerusalem to become an evangelist in Samaria (Acts 8:5–12). After the church in Samaria was started, Philip was used by the Holy Spirit to bring the gospel to an Ethiopian eunuch, a member of the court of Candace, the Ethiopian queen. Philip found the eunuch sitting in his chariot, reading Isaiah and trying to make sense of the prophet’s words. Philip offered to explain, and the eunuch invited him to come up and sit with him. In the end, the eunuch was saved and baptized (Acts 8:26–39). Immediately following the baptism, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away to Azotus, where he continued to preach the gospel in the towns from there to Caesarea (Acts 8:40). Twenty years later, Philip the evangelist is mentioned again, still in Caesarea (Acts 21:8–9). Paul and Luke and others were traveling to Jerusalem, and they stopped at Philip’s home in Caesarea. They stayed with Philip for several days. Philip had four unmarried daughters at that time, all of whom had the gift of prophecy. That is the last time the Bible mentions the evangelist Philip.GotQuestions.org John 12:22 Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus. BGT John 12:22 ἔρχεται ὁ Φίλιππος καὶ λέγει τῷ Ἀνδρέᾳ, ἔρχεται Ἀνδρέας καὶ Φίλιππος καὶ λέγουσιν τῷ Ἰησοῦ. KJV John 12:22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. NET John 12:22 Philip went and told Andrew, and they both went and told Jesus. CSB John 12:22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. ESV John 12:22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. NIV John 12:22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. NLT John 12:22 Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus. NRS John 12:22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. NJB John 12:22 Philip went to tell Andrew, and Andrew and Philip together went to tell Jesus. NAB John 12:22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. YLT John 12:22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew, and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. MIT John 12:22 Philip conferred with Andrew, and the two of them told Jesus. Andrew: Jn 1:40-41, Jn 6:8 Andrew and: Mt 10:5 Mk 10:13,14 Lu 9:49,50 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: John 1:40-41 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He found first his own brother Simon and *aid to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). John 6:8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, RELAYING THE MESSAGE OF DESIRE TO MEET JESUS Philip came (erchomai) and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came (erchomai) and told Jesus - Philip and Andrew appear together in Jn 1:45; Jn 6:7, 8. There is no record Jesus ever spoke with the Greeks who sought Him, but William MacDonald makes an excellent point that "No one who has this sincere desire in his heart is ever turned away unrewarded (cf Jer 29:13)." (BORROW Believer's Bible Commentary) Amen! A T

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Spurgeon - Andrew and Philip appear to have been staunch friends and fellow-labourers; and it is always well when Christian men can work for Christ with congenial companions. My poor perplexed brother, if you cannot get to Jesus Christ by yourself, it will be a good thing for you to say to some Philip, “Sir, I would see Jesus.” Perhaps Philip will tell his friend Andrew, and then Philip and Andrew will go together, and tell Jesus, and so you will get to him. It is a great help in prayer, when you are yourself unable to pray, to get someone, whom you know to be a Christian, and who has sympathy with you, to come and pray with you. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Warren

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Spurgeon - Christ’s passion and death were getting very near when these Gentiles came to him, and he saw, in that company of Greeks, the vanguard of that great army that shall yet come to him out of every nation under heaven. In the prospect of that great ingathering, he looked beyond the impending shame and suffering, and spoke even of the hour of his death as the time when he should be glorified.....He knew that the hour was come when he must die. Looking through the dark glass of death, he saw what its result would be, and he called it glory.....They did not expect him to say that. Surely, the coming of a few Greeks to see him was not very much in the way of glorification. But, to him, the coming of these Greeks was a sort of prophecy of the myriads of other Gentiles who would, by-and-by, come to his feet; and, therefore, he looked forward to that death which should be the means of their salvation. Christ came into the world to preach the gospel, but he came on a greater errand than that, namely, to provide a gospel that could be preached; and he knew that the time was approaching when he must provide that gospel by dying upon the cross. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Merrill Tenney agrees with Morris writing "In another sense, the action of Jesus is an answer to the Greeks' inquiry, because he announced openly that the great hour of his life had arrived. He felt the pressure of the Gentile world and realized that the time had come to open the way to God for the Gentiles and to fuse Jewish and Gentile believers into one body. To accomplish this objective, he had to sacrifice himself (cf. John 10:16). (BORROW The Expositor's Bible Commentary) D A Carson says "the approach of the Greeks is for Jesus a kind of trigger, a signal that the climactic hour has dawned." (BORROW The Gospel according to John) To state it another way, this verse marks a turning point for Jesus in this Gospel. Grant Osborne - Jesus’ response (Jn 12:23) seems to ignore them, but in the larger picture it provides the core of the salvation they sought. Moreover, Jesus may well have been saying that with them, the procession of the nations to Zion that had been prophesied in Isaiah (e.g., Isa 60) had begun. This may well have been the crucial “signal” to Jesus that his hour had finally arrived (so Carson). (See The Gospel of John) While I tend to agree with Morris and Tenney's explanation of why the coming of the Greeks triggered His answer in this verse, the POSB suggests another interesting consideration - The Greeks had just seen Jesus glorified as Messiah by teeming thousands. It was as if the world was going after Him. They wanted to be part of the movement, so they requested an interview with Him. What Jesus did was try to correct the misunderstood idea of the Messiah held by the world (ED: MILITARY CONQUEROR, DELIVERER). He wanted to prepare both the Greeks and those standing around (the whole world) for His death. He wanted to teach that the way to glory is not through triumph and glory, not through domination and subjection. The way to glory is through death to self and through service to God and man. (BORROW The Preacher's outline & sermon Bible) THE DIVINE "ALARM CLOCK" HAD SOUNDED Saying, "The hour has come (erchomai) for (hina - for the purpose that) the Son of Man to be glorified (doxazo) - John had repeatedly recorded that Jesus' hour (time) had not yet come (Jn 2:4+, Jn 7:6+, Jn 7:30+, Jn 8:20+) Jesus did not need to wear a wristwatch, for He kept time perfectly because He was always in perfect harmony with His Father and His Father's timetable (Jn 5:30+, Jn 6:38+, cf Lk 24:42+). From the hour of His birth, His entire life pointed to the hour of His death, the cradle to consummate in the cross. This was the beginning of the final act in the drama of redemption. And in light of what Jesus says in John 12:24, it is clear that the path by which the Son of Man would be glorified is through His death, burial, resurrection and exaltation (ascension). Note that has come is in the perfect tense indicating past completed action (in this case in this verse) with enduring effect. In other words, the reality of the Cross is upon Him and there is no going back. For the Son of Man, suffering was the path to glory; in fact, here suffering is glory! Grant Osborne - That hour was the hour of his death, spoken of first as his entering into his glory. John 12:23ff is one of the key Son of Man passages (along with Jn 1:51) associated with heavenly glory and the salvation he would provide. For the Son of Man, suffering was the path to glory; in fact, here suffering is glory! (See The Gospel of John) A T

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Spurgeon - Telling them that the source of his glory would be his death. The reason why the people would hear of him, and come to him, was that he would be hanged on the cross. The grain of wheat, when put into the ground, if it remains as it is, will never increase; it must die if it is to bring forth fruit. What is death? The end of existence? None but thoughtless persons imagine that. Death is the resolution of any living substance into its primary elements. It is the division of the soul from the body; originally, it was the division of the soul from God. In a grain of wheat, death is the separation of the particles of which it is composed, that the life-germ may feed upon that which was provided for it. “If it die,” in the true sense of the word, in being separated into its constituent elements, then “it bringeth forth much fruit.” Christ’s way to glory was through the grave he must go down that he might mount to the throne.....The preservation of the corn is the prevention of its increase; but the putting of it into the ground, the losing of it, the burial of it, is the very means of its multiplication. So our Lord Jesus Christ must not care for himself, and he did not. He surrendered himself to all the ignominy of the death of the cross, he died, and was buried in the heart of the earth, but he sprang up again from the grave, and ever since then myriads have come to him through his death, even as these Greeks came to him in his life. Now, as it was with Christ, so is it to be with us; at least, in our measure. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) I say to you, unless a grain (kokkus) of wheat (sitos) falls into the earth and dies (apothnesko), it remains (meno) alone - A grain refers to a single seed (symbolizing Jesus). Jesus points out the paradox that life comes from death! In context it is clear that Jesus is metaphorically speaking of the hour of His glorification, the hour of His crucifixion. Christ the Creator had so ordered His creation that it would be possible for life to come forth from death. This picture of a seed that fall into the ground and seems to die yet which springs to life, is a beautiful metaphor for physical death followed by burial in the ground which in turn is followed by rising up to life. A T Robertson on unless (KJV - except) - Negative condition of third class (undetermined, supposable case) with second aorist active participle pesōn (from piptō, to fall) and the second aorist active subjunctive of apothnēskō, to die. David

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Spurgeon - He knew that he must die, for his living, and preaching, and miracle working would never produce such results as his death would accomplish. He must go down into the ground, out of sight, and there must lie like a buried grain of wheat, that out of him there might spring a great harvest to the glory of God; and these Greeks were like a first handful, a wavesheaf unto God, a promise of the great harvest that would be the result of his death: “If it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Bob Utley on bears much fruit - One seed can produce many seeds (cf. John 15:2, John 15:4, John 15:5, John 15:8, John 15:16; 1 Corinthians 15:36). His death brought many to true life (cf. Mark 10:45). Spurgeon - This was Christ’s way to glory, and it must be our way to glory too. The grain of wheat must fall into the ground, and die, or else it cannot bring forth fruit. Just so must it be with you and with me, and in proportion as we learn to die to self we shall live to the glory of God. If you keep yourself to yourself, you will lose yourself. Brethren and sisters in Christ, if we are really to glorify Christ on the earth, we must be willing to lose our reputation, our good name, our comfort, and indeed everything that we have, for Christ’s sake. This is the only way truly to live. If, for your own sake, you begin to keep back anything from Christ, that is the way to die. You would then be like the grain of wheat that is laid by, and preserved, and which, therefore, can never grow or multiply. Surrender yourself; be willing to be nothing; be willing to die if only the truth may live. Care nothing about honour and glory for yourself; care only about the honour and glory of your Master. Learn the meaning of the Master’s paradox. As you bury yourself, you will multiply yourself. As you are put out of sight, like a grain of wheat that is sown in the ground, you have your only opportunity of growth and increase; heavily-laden ears of corn shall spring up from the grain which has been buried in the earth. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) J C Ryle on if it dies - The wealth of spiritual truth which this beautiful figure unfolds is very great. The death of Christ was the life of the world. From it, as a most prolific seed, was to spring an enormous harvest of blessing to souls, and of glory to God. His substitution on the cross, His atoning death, were to be the beginning of untold blessings to a lost world. To wish Him not to die, to dislike the idea of His death, (as the disciples evidently did,) was as foolish as to keep seed-corn locked up in the granary, and to refuse to sow it. “lam the corn of wheat,” Jesus seems to say. “Unless I die, whatever you in your private opinion may think, my purpose in coming into the world will not be accomplished. But if I die, multitudes of souls will be saved.” Colin Kruse "The primary reference was to his own death. Just as a grain of wheat dies when it is planted, but then produces many seeds as it sprouts and the plant grows to maturity, so too Jesus would die, but the effect of his death would be a vast harvest of people who through faith in him would find eternal life. The coming of the Greeks made Jesus think of the great harvest (not only among Jews but also among Gentiles) that would occur following his death. The hour towards which everything was moving, then, was the hour of his death, followed by his resurrection and exaltation. This was when the Son of Man would be glorified. (BORROW The Gospel According to John) “There are no crown-wearers in heaven who were not cross-bearers here below.” -- C H Spurgeon Rod Mattoon - Christians are like seeds. They are small and insignificant, but have life within them, the Holy Spirit. The abundant life that the Lord has for us will not be fulfilled unless we surrender to the Lord and are yielded to Him. When a man dies to self, and buries his personal ambitions and aims, God can begin to use him for His glory as he endeavors to serve the Lord. God used men like Paul and John the Baptist in a great way because they had learned to die to self. Warren

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Spurgeon - His love is ruinous to his true life; but to destroy self-love, to make a sacrifice of ourselves, is the truest way really to preserve ourselves.....To hoard your energies will be really to destroy them, like hoarded wheat which in the end becomes useless; but to give up your energies, to expend your life-forces, this is to sow the wheat, and this is the way to ensure the harvest. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Westcott said it this way "Sacrifice, self-surrender, death, is the condition of the highest life: selfishness is the destruction of life....He who seeks to gather round himself that which is perishable, so far perishes with it: he who divests himself of all that is of this world only, so far prepares himself for the higher life" (Commentary on the Gospel of John) Bob Utley on loses (his life) - This is the opposite of "eternal life." If one does not have faith in Christ, this is the only alternative. This destruction is not annihilation, but the loss of a personal relationship with God (which is the essence of Hell). Live for this world, and you shall lose this world and the next, too; live for the world to come, and you shall in the highest sense gain both worlds. -- Spurgeon's Exposition Life Application Study Bible (BORROW) - We must be so committed to living for Christ that we should "care nothing" for our lives by comparison. This does not mean that we long to die or that we are careless or destructive with the life God has given, but that we are willing to die if doing so will glorify Christ. We must disown the tyrannical rule of our own self-centeredness. By laying aside our striving for advantage, security, and pleasure, we can serve God lovingly and freely. Releasing control of our lives and transferring control to Christ bring eternal life and genuine joy. Jesus' half-brother James gives a similar admonition writing "You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship (philia - related to phileo) with the world is hostility (echthra) toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend (philos) of the world (kosmos) makes himself an enemy (echthros) of God.." (James 4:4+) John also issues a strong warning in his first epistle commanding "Do not love (present imperative with a negative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) the world (kosmos) nor the things in the world (kosmos). If anyone loves (present tense - continually) the world (kosmos), the love of the Father is (ouk - strongest Greek negative = absolutely) not in him." (1 John 2:15+) In other words, such a person habitually "loves his life" in this world, with the result that he "loses" his life in the next world (eternal punishment)! THOUGHT - What you love is a strong indicator of the "compass" of your heart! Look, we all wrestle with the shiny, glittering trinkets of this fallen world (I just bought a new Iphone!), but that is not what John is talking about. He and Jesus are saying that if these temporary trinkets have continually taken over the throne room (so to speak) of your heart, then you need to check whether you truly have a "new heart," a heart regenerated by the Holy Spirit (cf Ezekiel 36:26, 27+)! We are not speaking about perfection, but about direction. And he who hates (NLT - "who care nothing for their life" - miseo - present tense - continually hates) his life (psuche) in this world (kosmos) will keep (phulasso - guard, preserve) it to life (zoe) eternal (aionios) - Hates (miseo) is in the present tense which speaks of a continual hating one's life in this world (kosmos = ruled by Satan 1Jn 5:19 and hostile to God). And so the prophetic promise of life eternal is conditioned on temporal hatred of this present life. Jesus is not speaking of literal hatred but relative hatred, so to speak. As Kruse says "The love/hate contrast reflects Semitic idiom, pointing to preference rather than actual hatred." Jesus is not saying that those who continually abandon their self-interests, deny themselves, hate their sinful condition, etc, will earn or merit salvation. Salvation is indisputably solely by faith (Sola Fide)! Only a person who is saved and empowered by the Holy Spirit can continually hate his life in this world.One could think of this hatred as one of the evidences of genuine salvation. Or as Steven

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Spurgeon - You cannot expect better lodgings than that; so, as Christ had to live here amid sorrow, and sin, and shame, you must be willing to do the same; but, as Christ was afterwards exalted to indescribable honour, so shall it be with you if you are his true servant.....Follow Christ, then, to the cross; follow him to the grave; follow him in his humiliation; and then the Father will honour you even as he honoured his Son......Do not let him invent some new method of service: “Let him follow me.” If you would do Christ a service, it cannot be by will-worship, or by any way of your own devising: “If any man serve me, let him follow me.” (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) If anyone serves (diakoneo) Me, the Father will honor (timao) him - If is another third class conditional sentence (SEE ALSO PRECEDING TECHNICAL NOTE) which means potential action. Serves is in the present tense speaking of this service as one's habitual practice. The word for serves speaks of menial duties and was used for waiting on tables. Whatever done in service in this life for Jesus will be rewarded. Surely even now there is reward in this temporal life (just knowing one's service brings glory to Jesus is enough), but ultimately and fully will be rewarded when Christ returns. For example, Peter refers to honoring believers writing of trials endured "that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1Pe 1:7). Is this honor bestowed by the Father distinct from the Bema Seat where Jesus sits as Judge? I don't know, but it could be different. For such is the Father’s love to his Son, that he delights to honour all those who become his Son’s faithful servants. -- Spurgeon Pulpit Commentary - For the Father to honor a poor child of the dust seems almost more than we can receive. (ED: AND CERTAINLY FAR MORE THAN WE DESERVE!) J C Ryle on the Father will honor - The Father shall give, to those who love Christ, such honour as eye hath not seen nor ear heard. Honour from the men of this world they may not have. Honour from the Father shall make amends for all. Stephen Olford - What greater glory could there be than the honor of the Father upon those who have faithfully followed the Lord Jesus all the way?....Oh, to have the honor of the Father, and to hear Him say, “… Well done, good and faithful servant; … Enter into the joy of your lord” (Mt 25:21). Vance Havner - There are no trivial assignments in the work of the Lord. Henrietta Mears - Serving God with our little is the way to make it more; and we must never think that wasted with which God is honoured or men are blessed. Jesus calls us o’er the tumult of our life’s wild, restless sea; day by day His sweet voice soundeth, saying, “Christian, follow Me.” Jesus calls us from the worship of the vain world’s golden store, from each idol that would keep us, saying, “Christian, love Me more.” In our joys and in our sorrows, days of toil and hours of ease, still He calls, in cares and pleasures, “Christian, love Me more than these.” Jesus calls us: by Thy mercies, Savior, may we hear Thy call, give our hearts to Thy obedience, serve and love Thee best of all. -- Mrs. Cecil F. Alexander, 1818–1895 Follow (190) akoloutheo from a = expresses union with, likeness + keleuthos = a road, way) means to walk the same road (Ponder that simple definition dear believer - Am I willing to walk the same road as Jesus?) Literally to follow (like the crowds followed Jesus) and in a figurative sense to follow Jesus as a disciple. To follow (closely) and was used of soldiers, servants and pupils. To go after someone or something (not as a true disciple however as we see with the crowds who physically followed Jesus, following however without a willingness to commit wholly to Him! cf John 6:60-65, 66) Early in the history of the Greek language akoloutheo came to mean to imitate or follow someone's example. This dual meaning colored the New Testament use of our word akoloutheo. Note that most of the uses of akoloutheo are in the Gospels and thus this verb is firmly linked with the life of Jesus, for He is the One to follow. When Jesus issued a call to "Follow Me" akoloutheo was always in the present imperative indicating that Jesus is calling for this to be one's lifelong path, ultimately one which can only be successfully trodden by yielding to His Spirit who enables us to obey that command as our lifestyle (not perfection, but general direction). Click here for an in depth discussion of akoloutheo in the New International Dictionary of the New Testament Akoloutheo - Jn. 1:37; Jn. 1:38; Jn. 1:40; Jn. 1:43; Jn. 6:2; Jn. 8:12; Jn. 10:4; Jn. 10:5; Jn. 10:27; Jn. 11:31; Jn. 12:26; Jn. 13:36; Jn. 13:37; Jn. 18:15; Jn. 20:6; Jn. 21:19; Jn. 21:20; Jn. 21:22 Servant (deacon) (1249) diakonos is of uncertain origin. Some say it is from dia (through) + konis (dust) which denotes one who hurries through the dust to carry out his service. (Thayer and others doubt this derivation for technical reasons). This word group (diakonos, diakoneo, diakonia) focuses on the rendering or assistance or help by performing certain duties, often of a humble or menial nature, and including such mundane activities as waiting on tables or caring for household needs, activities that to many would seem to be without dignity (not true of course in God's eyes, Pr 15:3, Rev 22:12+). In summary, the basic idea of this word group is that of humble, submissive, personal service, with less emphasis on a specific office or a particular function. Diakonos - 27v - Matt. 20:26; Matt. 22:13; Matt. 23:11; Mk. 9:35; Mk. 10:43; Jn. 2:5; Jn. 2:9; Jn. 12:26; Rom. 13:4; Rom. 15:8; Rom. 16:1; 1 Co. 3:5; 2 Co. 3:6; 2 Co. 6:4; 2 Co. 11:15; 2 Co. 11:23; Gal. 2:17; Eph. 3:7; Eph. 6:21; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:7; Col. 1:23; Col. 1:25; Col. 4:7; 1 Tim. 3:8; 1 Tim. 3:12; 1 Tim. 4:6 Honor (5091) timao for time = honor, prize) means to show high regard respect for and so to count as valuable, to esteem, to value, to honor or to revere. To show respect to someone is to recognize their worth as a person (and if they are a parent to recognize the validity of their role and their authority) and implies a considered evaluation or estimation. Therefore, timao means to ascribe worth to someone. To hold in awe. To assign value to something, including people considered as property (slaves). It means to fix a value or price upon something and so to prize it. The idea is to treat as precious! To honor is a social action describing how people within a society should evaluate one another. Honor usually results in people being elevated in the eyes of the community. Honoring involves a proper attitude as well as appropriate behavior. Timao - 16v - Matt. 15:4; Matt. 15:6; Matt. 15:8; Matt. 19:19; Matt. 27:9; Mk. 7:6; Mk. 7:10; Mk. 10:19; Lk. 18:20; Jn. 5:23; Jn. 8:49; Jn. 12:26; Acts 28:10; Eph. 6:2; 1 Tim. 5:3; 1 Pet. 2:17 This hymn was written for John Bode's 3 children when they were confirmed and relates to John 12:26 O Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end; be Thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend: I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side, nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my guide. O let me feel Thee near me—the world is ever near; I see the sights that dazzle, the tempting sounds I hear: My foes are ever near me, around me and within; but Jesus, draw Thou nearer, and shield my soul from sin. O Jesus, Thou hast promised to all who follow Thee, that where Thou art in glory, there shall Thy servant be; and, Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end; O give me grace to follow, my Master and my Friend. Charles Stanley - FORGING AHEAD - John 12:26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. The world is constantly vying for our attention. On the left, on the right—its relentless assault can cause us to lose our way quickly if we are not careful. But clinging to God no matter how good or bad our circumstances are keeps us walking closely with Him. God is the guiding light in our lives, leading us by the voice of His Holy Spirit to a place of life. However, what we forget in our relationship with Him is that we are followers—He is the one leading us. Whenever the distractions disorient us, we forget that God is our leader. Instead, we try to coerce Him to follow us, getting out of step with what He wants for our lives. Jesus told His disciples that following Him meant staying with Him (John 12:26). Serving the Lord does not happen if we are not walking with Him. And we cannot walk with Him if we are racing ahead of the pace He sets for us. Sometimes getting ahead of God and forging ahead on our own conveys the message that we do not need His help. As His beloved children, we know that to serve and honor Him as He deserves, we must listen closely to His guidance for our lives through His Word, His Holy Spirit, and other wise believers around us. PRAYER - Remove all the distractions, Lord. Help me to keep my eyes focused on You so I can keep in step with You (ED: SEE Gal 5:25NIV+). (Pathways into His Presence) Subtle Wisdom If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. —John 12:26 Today's Scripture: Mark 8:34-38 When I was in college, my co-worker Bud, a fork-truck driver, often enriched my life with his pithy wisdom. We were eating lunch one day, sitting on the back of his fork truck, when I announced that I was transferring to another school. “Why?” he asked. “All my friends are transferring,” I answered. Bud chewed his sandwich for a moment and then replied quietly and with subtle irony, “I guess that’s one way to pick a school.” His words struck me with rare force. Of course, I thought. But is this the only way to choose a school? Will I follow my friends for the rest of my days, or will I follow Jesus? Will I seek His face and His will and go where He wants me to go? Twenty-five times in the New Testament, Jesus said to His disciples, “Follow Me.” In Mark 8:34, He said, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” No matter what others do or what direction their lives may take, we must do what He asks us to do. As I walk along life’s pathway, Though the way I cannot see, I shall follow in Christ’s footsteps, For He has a plan for me. —Thiesen To find your way through life, follow Jesus. JESUS CALLS US Mrs. Cecil F. Alexander, 1818–1895 Jesus calls us o’er the tumult of our life’s wild, restless sea; day by day His sweet voice soundeth, saying, “Christian, follow Me.” Jesus calls us from the worship of the vain world’s golden store, from each idol that would keep us, saying, “Christian, love Me more.” In our joys and in our sorrows, days of toil and hours of ease, still He calls, in cares and pleasures, “Christian, love Me more than these.” Jesus calls us: by Thy mercies, Savior, may we hear Thy call, give our hearts to Thy obedience, serve and love Thee best of all. God’s call for discipleship comes to every believer, not just a special few. Whether or not we hear God’s call depends on our spiritual sensitivity. The last Sunday in November is known as St. Andrew’s Day. It has traditionally been an important day in the liturgical worship of the Anglican church. It commemorates the calling of Andrew by Jesus as recorded in Matthew 4:18–20 and Mark 1:16–l8. “At once they [Simon and his brother Andrew] left their nets and followed Him.” Andrew has become the patron saint of Scotland, and the oblique cross on which tradition says he was crucified is part of the Union Jack of the British flag. This is another of the quality hymn texts written by Cecil Frances Alexander, recognized as one of England’s finest women hymn writers. It is one of the few of Mrs. Alexander’s hymns not specifically written for children; nearly all of her more than 400 poems and hymn texts were intended for reaching and teaching children with the gospel. Following her marriage in 1850 to the distinguished churchman, Dr. William Alexander, who later became archbishop for all of Ireland, Mrs. Alexander devoted her literary talents to helping her husband with his ministry, including writing appropriate poems that he could use with his sermons. One fall day, two years after their marriage, Dr. Alexander asked his wife if she could write a poem for a sermon he was planning to preach the following Sunday for his St. Andrew’s Day sermon. The pastor closed his sermon that day with the new poem written by his wife. These words have since been widely used in all churches to challenge God’s people to hear Christ’s call as Andrew did and then to follow, serve, and love Him “best of all.” (BORROW Amazing Grace) A W Tozer - THE HALFWAY CHRISTIAN LIFE If any man serve me, him will my Father honour. John 12:26 The word mediocre comes from two Latin words and literally means “halfway to the peak.” This makes it an apt description of the progress of many Christians. They are halfway up to the peak. They are not halfway to heaven but halfway up to where they ought to be, halfway between the valley and the peak. They are morally above the hardened sinner but they are spiritually beneath the shining saint. Many have settled down right there, and the tragedy is that years ago some of you said, “I am not going to fail God. I am going to push my way up the mountain until I am at the top of the peak, at the highest possible point of experience with God in this mortal life!” But you have done nothing about it. If anything, you have lost spiritual ground since that day. You are now a halfway Christian! You are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. You are halfway up to the peak, halfway to where you could have been if you had pressed on. Do we really think that this halfway Christian life is the best that Christ offers—the best that we can know? In the face of what Christ offers us, how can we settle for so little? (BORROW Mornings with Tozer) H A

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Spurgeon - DECEMBER 8 “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.”—John 12:26. THE highest service is imitation. if I would be Christ’s servant I must be his follower. To do as Jesus did is the surest way of bringing honour to his name. Let me mind this every day. If I imitate Jesus I shall have his company: if I am like him I shall be with him. In due time he will take me up to dwell with him above, if, meanwhile, I have striven to follow him here below. After his suffering our Lord came to his throne, and even so, after we have suffered a while with him here below, we also shall arrive in glory. The issue of our Lord’s life shall be the issue of ours: if we are with him in his humiliation we shall be with him in his glory. Come, my soul, pluck up courage, and put down thy feet in the blood-marked footprints which thy Lord has left thee. Let me not fail to note that the Father will honour those who follow his Son. If he sees me true to Jesus he will put marks of favour and honour upon me for his Son’s sake. No honour can be like this. Princes and emperors bestow the mere shadows of honour; the substance of glory comes from the Father. Wherefore, my soul, cling thou to thy Lord Jesus more closely than ever. C H Spurgeon - sermon excerpt from Christ’s servant—his duty, and reward - This is just what Jesus Christ says to us. We are his deacons, his servants. We engaged, in the day when we gave ourselves to Him, that we would take up our cross and follow him; and he points today to some high mountain, saying, ‘If you would serve me, follow me.’ He asks you not to lead; he himself has gone before; he calls you to no labour which he has not himself already accomplished. Oh! can you say in your heart today— ‘Through floods and flames if Jesus leads, I’ll follow where he goes; ‘Hinder me not,’ shall be my cry, Though earth and hell oppose.’ This is true service, the best that can be rendered, to follow where he leads the way, let the way be never so rough or arduous, to persevere to the end, even though the end be a martyr’s death. Come, brethren, and especially those who are beginners, and have but lately enlisted in Christ’s cause, let me mark you out Christ’s way, and then, if you would serve him, follow him. I know the proud flesh wants to serve Christ, by striking out new paths. Proud man has a desire to preach new doctrine, to set up a new Church, to be an original thinker, to judge, and consider, and do anything but obey. This is no service to Christ. He that would serve Christ must follow him; he must be content to tread only in the old footsteps, and go only where Christ has led the way. There must be nothing about our religion of our own inventing; it is for us to lay thought, and judgment, and opinion at the feet of Christ, and do what he bids us, simply because he gives the command. Look then disciples at your Lord. Chris Tiegreen - Believers or Followers? “Whoever serves me must follow me.”John 12:26 “You must be willing to follow if you want God to lead.” —Anonymous IN WORD Much of the emphasis of modern evangelism is to create believers in Jesus. Faith is the overriding concern. Considering the overwhelming emphasis on faith in the Bible, this is an appropriate focus. But what kind of faith do we promote? What kind of faith does Jesus expect? Jesus makes it clear that faith in Him does not mean simply an intellectual agreement with His claims. No, to believe in Jesus is to serve Him and follow Him. It is absolutely meaningless to claim faith in Jesus and then live contrary to His teachings with no apparent interest in aligning ourselves with them. Faith means hanging the entire balance of our lives on His claims and His commands. It means not only accepting Him as our Savior, but following Him as our Lord. To separate these two roles of Jesus is to make Him into something He is not, and it is to make our beliefs almost meaningless. Whoever believes Him, loves Him, serves Him—that person will follow Him. Whoever does not follow Him does not serve Him, love Him, or really even believe in Him. So what does it mean to follow Jesus? It means that wherever He is, that’s where we’ll be. Is He at the right hand of the Father? Then we who follow are seated there with Him (Ephesians 2:6). Is He on the Cross? Then we who follow Him are there also (Galatians 2:20). Is He in prisons and slums? Then we will be there too. Wherever God is reconciling this vile world in Christ, that’s where Jesus’ true followers will be. IN DEED Ask yourself the hard questions about your discipleship. Are you a believer or a follower? In modern English, there’s a difference. But in Jesus’ vocabulary, each of those words implies the other. To believe in Him means to serve Him, as He commanded; and to serve means to follow. Where are you willing to follow Jesus? Many will follow Him as long as He does not rearrange their lives. But this isn’t true following; it’s self-deception. Jesus will often take us where we are reluctant to go. If we serve Him, we will go anyway. (See The One Year At His Feet Devotional ) James Butler's Sermon Starters - SERVING CHRIST John 12:26 “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be. If any man serve me, him will my Father honor” (John 12:26). Service for Christ is the theme of this text. The text speaks of two important things about service for Christ, namely, the requirement for service and the reward for service. Both will help our service. FIRST—THE REQUIREMENT FOR SERVING “If any man serve me, let him follow me.” The requirement for service is a simple one, for it simply says to follow the Lord. But though it is a simple requirement it involves some difficult conduct. We note three things involved in following the Lord which a person will find difficult to do. • Steadfastness. The word “follow” means persistency, continuation. Therefore to follow Christ you must be faithful. It is not necessary to be flashy or famous to serve Christ, but it is necessary to be faithful. If you can be faithful, God can use you. • Separation. To “follow” the Lord will involve separation. You will have to separate from many things to follow Christ. You will have to separate from people, practices, philosophies, and places in order to follow Him. Separation is both positive and negative. We often think of only the negative. But separation is twofold. It is separation “from” in order to separate “unto.” We have to separate “from” many things in order to be separated “unto” the Lord so we can serve Him. • Submission. To “follow” the Lord means submission. You go where He goes. That may not always be according to your plans. To serve Him you must be near Him so when He gives orders you are present to receive the orders. Hence to serve him, requires that we follow Him. And this will require a good deal of submission. SECOND—THE REWARD FOR SERVING “If any man serve me, him will my Father honor.” This sentence speaks of the reward for serving. • The place of the reward. “If any man serve me, him will my Father honor.” The reward comes after the service, and the promise of the reward comes after the prerequisite for the reward. We like the reward but few are interested in the requirement of service. Furthermore in our culture many want the reward without the requirement, for they think they are entitled to the reward. • The particulars of the reward. “Him will my father honor.” This is the greatest honor man can ever have. It will not disappoint nor defile. But the the world’s honors often disappoint and defile. • The popularity of the reward. “Him will my father honor.” This reward is not popular with the world, for the world is interested mostly in the honor it can receive from the world. Heaven’s honor does not interest very many, but earth’s honor does. But all the world’s honors pale into insignificance compared to God’s honor. John 12:27 "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. BGT John 12:27 Νῦν ἡ ψυχή μου τετάρακται, καὶ τί εἴπω; πάτερ, σῶσόν με ἐκ τῆς ὥρας ταύτης; ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο ἦλθον εἰς τὴν ὥραν ταύτην. KJV John 12:27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. NET John 12:27 "Now my soul is greatly distressed. And what should I say? 'Father, deliver me from this hour'? No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour. CSB John 12:27 "Now My soul is troubled. What should I say-- Father, save Me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. ESV John 12:27 "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. NIV John 12:27 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. NLT John 12:27 "Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, 'Father, save me from this hour'? But this is the very reason I came! NRS John 12:27 "Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say-- 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. NJB John 12:27 Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say: Father, save me from this hour? But it is for this very reason that I have come to this hour. NAB John 12:27 "I am troubled now. Yet what should I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour. YLT John 12:27 'Now hath my soul been troubled, and what? shall I say -- Father, save me from this hour? -- but because of this I came to this hour; MIT John 12:27 "Now my soul is undergoing deep stress, and what shall I say in response? Father, spare me from this crisis? But for this mission I have come all the way to this hour. Now My soul has become troubled: Jn 11:33-35 Jn13:21 Ps 69:1-3 88:3 Isa 53:3 Mt 26:38,39,42 Mk 14:33-36 Lu 22:44,53 Heb 5:7 what: Isa 38:15 Lu 12:49-50 Father: Jn 11:41 Mt 26:53-54 But for this purpose: Jn 18:37 Lu 22:53 1Ti 1:15 Heb 2:14 10:5-9 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Hebrews 5:7-10+ In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. 8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, 10 being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Luke 22:42+ saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Luke 12:49-50+ “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 “But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed (sunecho) I am until it is accomplished! John 13:21+ When Jesus had said this, He became troubled (tarasso) in spirit, and testified and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.” John 18:37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” THE HUMANITY OF JESUS: TROUBLED IN SOUL Brian Bell - Jesus responded as though the Greeks weren’t even present. Jesus is preoccupied with one thing, His death. From Jn 12:23 to Jn 12:50 as His last public teaching, Jesus concentrates on 4 Major Themes: The Cross is Imminent (only 4 days away; Jn 12:23-28); The Pain is Great (Jn 12:27); The Need is Urgent (Jn 12:35,36); The Response will be varied (Jn 12:37; 42,43) The Cross, was His final word/His final answer! Now My soul (psuche) - Soul is synonymous here with spirit (see "troubled [tarasso] in spirit" in Jn 13:21). When Jesus speaks of His “Soul”, He speaks of His inner self, the deep inward seat of His feelings referring to His full humanity. He wants us to know that His soul was not at peace. Inwardly, he was disturbed over what was ahead. My soul (psuche) expresses a deep struggle for the sinless Savior. And who caused His soul this angst? You and me, beloved. Our sins! In fact in one sense He became a man so He could be troubled on our behalf! What a Savior! What a Friend! "Because Jesus was troubled for our sins on the cross, we don’t need to be troubled on judgment day! He bore all our guilt on the cross so that we can enjoy peace with God! (Ro 5:1+)" (Steven Cole) Has become troubled (tarasso) - His "hour of heartbreak" was upon Him bringing about a natural human reaction in the One Who is fully Man! Troubled is in the perfect tense (troubled tarasso used 3x of Jesus - Jn 11:33, 12:27, 13:21), indicating He has become troubled at some point in past and that state of inner trouble persists. The exact cause of the troubling is not stated, but clearly in context it has to do with the fact that the sinless Lamb knew that in just a few days He would be made sin (2Co 5:21+) and bear the sins of the world (1Pe 2:24+, Jn 1:29+) and cry "the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" which is translated, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?"" (Mk 15:34+) A T

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Spurgeon - That is a grand answer to the Saviour’s question, “What shall I say?” And, when you do not know how to pray, you may always present that petition, “Father, glorify thy name.” You have some dear one at home very ill; you would be glad if the precious life might be spared, yet you are not sure whether you may ask for it? Well then, say, “Father, glorify thy name.” Possibly, you are passing through a great trial, and you would be glad to escape from it; yet you do not know whether it is the divine will that you should do so. Well then, you may, at any rate, put up this prayer, “‘Father, glorify thy name.’ Whatever is most for thy glory, let that be my will as it is thy will.”.....What a prayer! Jesus swallows up his temptation to escape the cup by this all-absorbing petition, “Father, glorify thy name.” When we are pleading about that glorious name of Jehovah, we may pray with vehemence and importunity: “Father, whatever I do or suffer, glorify thy name.” (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Colin Kruse says "God was glorified in the hour of Jesus’ death because then the grace of God was most clearly seen. The glory of God is his character, full of grace, and he is glorified when his character is revealed (cf. Exod. 34:5–8). (BORROW The Gospel According to John) Oh that we would set the promotion of God’s glory above any thought of ourselves! - Brian Bell Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified (doxazo) it, and will glorify (doxazo) it again - This is the only time in John's Gospel the Father spoke out of heaven (see above for Father speaking twice in the synoptic Gospels). Have glorified is past tense and clearly Jesus had glorified His Father's Name up to this point through His life, His words, His ministry. Will glorify is future tense and speaks of the Cross (and His resurrection) which is only days away.

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Spurgeon - In the 27th verse, our Saviour asked himself the question, “What shall I say?” here he gives his own answer, “Father, glorify thy name.” (ED: ACTUALLY I THINK HE ANSWERS FIRST WITH "FOR THIS PURPOSE I CAME TO THE HOUR.") When you know not what to pray for, you can always safely pray, “Father, glorify thy name.” As you stand where the cross-roads meet, and you ask, “Which way shall I choose?” pray, “Father, glorify thy name.” This incident seems like a rehearsal of Christ’s passion. Here we see that natural fear of death which came across the Saviour’s mind because he was so really and truly man. If his pains had not been real pains, but had been pleasant and congenial to him, there would have been no self-sacrifice in his suffering; but the fact that they cast upon his spirit the dark shadow of death only proves to us what sharp pains they were; but instead of asking for a way of escape from them, he surrendered himself to them, gave himself up as a willing victim with this prayer upon his lips, “Father, glorify thy name.” And now see what happened. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Bob

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Spurgeon - A Golden Prayer ‘Father, glorify thy name.’ John 12:28 Concerning this next year upon which we are entering, I hope it will be a year of happiness to you—I very emphatically wish you all a Happy New Year—but nobody can be confident that it will be a year free from trouble. On the contrary, you may be pretty confident that it will not be so, for ‘man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward’. We each have some dear faces in which we rejoice; may they long smile upon us: but each one of these may be an occasion of sorrow during the next year, for we have neither an immortal child, nor an immortal husband, nor an immortal wife, nor an immortal friend, and therefore some of these may die within the year. Moreover the comforts with which we are surrounded may take to themselves wings before another year shall fulfil its months. Earthly joys are as if they were all made of snow; they melt even as the frost and are gone before we conclude our thanksgiving for their coming. It may be you will have a year of drought and shortness of bread; years lean and ill favoured may be your portion. And perhaps during the year which has almost dawned you may have to gather up your feet in the bed and die, to meet your father’s God. Well now, concerning this approaching year and its mournful possibilities, shall we grow gloomy and desponding? Shall we wish we had never been born or ask that we may die? By no means. Shall we on the other hand grow frivolous and laugh at all things? No, that is ill-becoming in heirs of God. What shall we do? We will breathe this prayer, ‘Father, glorify thy name.’ That is to say, if I must lose my property, ‘glorify thy name’ by my poverty; if I must be bereaved, ‘glorify thy name’ in my sorrows; if I must die, ‘glorify thy name’ in my departure. When you pray in that fashion, your conflict is over; no outward fright nor inward fear remains. Vance Havner - Voice From Heaven In the midst of one of His discourses Jesus prays, "Father, glorify Thy name," and a voice from heaven answers, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." Then follow three interpretations of the voice by those who heard it. Some said it thundered; others said that an angel spoke to Him; Jesus said that it was God's voice speaking concerning His approaching death. These three interpretations cover the whole range of our attitude toward supernatural revelation. God has been speaking to men through the ages. Some have heard nothing but thunder and have explained it all away by natural causation. Some have heard the angel: they do believe that there is intelligence and possibly personality back of the universe, and believe that our better impressions are something more than sensations stirred up by a frolic of atoms. There have always been a few who have gone further and believed with Jesus that God really has spoken in a revelation that transcends all ordinary inspiration. These view-points hold true from any angle of God's manifestations of Himself. God speaks to us through nature. "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy-work." Some see only the workings of natural law; the Grand Canyon is but a cosmic accident; sunsets are purely physical, and nothing more. They hear only thunder! Others find earth crammed with heaven and every common bush afire with God. But the Christian goes even further and sees nature in the light of Christ, torn and groaning and travailing now, but one day to be restored to peace and harmony. God speaks through the Bible. Some hear only thunder, it is only a book. Others believe it inspired as Shakespeare is inspired, but not a supernatural revelation—just the voice of an angel, not God. Others take Jesus' point of view. To them, the Bible does not merely contain God's Word, it is God's Word. His Word they hide in their hearts that they might not sin against Him. But in the supreme revelation of all, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son." Some hear only thunder in the Christ, He was but a man now encrusted in legend and tradition. Others think He was inspired, perhaps the greatest of men, but still a man. They hear the angel. But others hear more than man, they fill out "man" until it becomes "Immanuel"—God with us. In the particular incident of John 12:28-32, God not only speaks through Christ, but to Him. Jesus goes on to explain that the voice spoke for the hearer's sake, and then speaks of His death in which the world is judged, Satan cast out and all men drawn to Him through His death. Jesus regarded His death as the centre and heart of God's purpose for Him. Naturalism, hearing only thunder, places no value on Christ's death. Modernism, hearing only the angel, regards Christ's life and teaching as more important. Both reject Jesus' own interpretation of God's testimony to Him. We have not caught the true and full meaning of God's revelation in Christ until we see that Calvary is the heart of it. Jesus is more than God speaking to men. He is God becoming man in the person of Christ to bear our sins upon the Cross. Modern Greeks ask to see Jesus as did these referred to in John 12. But for all there is one answer: "It is not as teacher or ideal character that I am truly to be known. The corn of wheat must die. It is as the crucified and risen Saviour that you must know Me if you are to be saved." God is speaking. Which way do you hear Him, as thunder, as an angel, or as Himself Chris Tiegreen - For His Honor “Father, glorify your name!”John 12:28 “Man’s chief work is the praise of God.” —St. Augustine IN WORD One of the ways we can determine whether we are becoming Christlike is to see how we act in a crisis. When the pressure is on, what will we do? Or, even deeper, when the pressure is on, what motives will direct us? Jesus came to the hour that He had long predicted. He was clear about His purpose in coming to Jerusalem; He would die there. The disciples couldn’t understand it, but He had foretold the Cross and Resurrection numerous times. And now the hour had come. It wasn’t a pleasant hour. Nothing in human flesh—even that of the divine Son of God—enjoys suffering. Jesus does not ask God to save Him from this hour in John 12 (v. 27), but when He gets to the garden of Gethsemane, He wants to know if it’s possible for the cup of suffering to pass Him by (Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22). Human nature is often so ambivalent; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is very, very weak. Even God, when clothed in human flesh, wanted the less painful way. But—and here’s the measure for us—in the middle of His crisis, one motive still guided Him: He preferred the glory of God’s name over His own self-preservation. God’s reputation weighed heavier on His heart than His own comfort and life. IN DEED Are you becoming Christlike? It is God’s plan for you to be conformed to the image of His Son. But how can you know if you’re growing toward that goal? Examine your motives, especially in the midst of a crisis. What is your agenda? Do you prefer the glory of God to your own escape? When it really comes down to it, what would you sacrifice for His glory? Jesus sacrificed a huge following, His school of disciples, His comfort and health, His current reputation, and even His life in order that God’s name might be honored. Would you? (See The One Year At His Feet Devotional) John 12:29 So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, "An angel has spoken to Him." BGT John 12:29 ὁ οὖν ὄχλος ὁ ἑστὼς καὶ ἀκούσας ἔλεγεν βροντὴν γεγονέναι, ἄλλοι ἔλεγον· ἄγγελος αὐτῷ λελάληκεν. KJV John 12:29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. NET John 12:29 The crowd that stood there and heard the voice said that it had thundered. Others said that an angel had spoken to him. CSB John 12:29 The crowd standing there heard it and said it was thunder. Others said that an angel had spoken to Him. ESV John 12:29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." NIV John 12:29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. NLT John 12:29 When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him. NRS John 12:29 The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." NJB John 12:29 The crowd standing by, who heard this, said it was a clap of thunder; others said, 'It was an angel speaking to him.' NAB John 12:29 The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder; but others said, "An angel has spoken to him." YLT John 12:29 the multitude, therefore, having stood and heard, were saying that there hath been thunder; others said, 'A messenger hath spoken to him.' MIT John 12:29 The crowd milling around who heard the sound said it had thundered. Others were saying an angel had addressed him. thundered: Ex 19:16 Ex 20:18 Job 37:2-5 Job 40:9 Eze 10:5 Rev 6:1 8:5 11:19 14:2 An angel: Ac 23:8,9 Rev 18:1,2 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Exodus 19:16 So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. Job 37:2-5 “Listen closely to the thunder of His voice, And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth. 3 “Under the whole heaven He lets it loose, And His lightning to the ends of the earth. 4 “After it, a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, And He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard. 5 “God thunders with His voice wondrously, Doing great things which we cannot comprehend. Job 40:9 “Or do you have an arm like God, And can you thunder with a voice like His? 2 Samuel 22:14 “The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice. Psalm 29:3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders, The LORD is over many waters. Psalm 18:13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire. Psalm 104:7 At Your rebuke they fled, At the sound of Your thunder they hurried away. Acts 9:7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Acts 22:9 “And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. TWO INTERPRETATIONS OF SOUND FROM HEAVEN The response to the Lord's voice from Heaven reminds me of the confusion about Saul's experience in Acts 9:7; Acts 22:9. So (oun - Term of conclusion) the crowd of people who stood by and heard (akouo) it were saying (imperfect - saying over and over) that it had thundered - The crowd heard the Father's voice. See passages above where God's voice was equated with thunder. They are like those liberals and skeptics who are always trying to explain supernatural phenomena by some natural means. They are like Thomas Jefferson who cut out all the supernatural portions of his Bible! The sound from the Father in Heaven was audible to the people but they did not understand. They heard Jesus utter the prayer in Jn 12:28 and then they heard a response from Heaven, but this group arrived at a natural explanation. One is reminded of Paul's words that "a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised." (1Co 2:14) Similarly Jesus declared "I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand." (Matt. 13:13+) The issue is not that God is silent, but that fallen, sinful people are deaf. -- John MacArthur Others were saying (imperfect - saying over and over), "An angel (aggelos/angelos) has spoken to Him - Others were closer to the truth (but this is not horseshoes!) thinking this heavenly sound was supernatural, not a "natural" phenomenon like thunder. They seem to have discerned actual words and speculated this was angelic speech, but they too failed to comprehend that these words from the Father. One is reminded of Jesus speaking to Paul on the Damascus Road and those with him did not understand (Acts 9:7, Acts 22:9). Spiritual truth must be spiritually discerned by the aid of the Holy Spirit. Both groups failed to put it together with His prayer, and so none said "This is His Father." Both groups were "out of tune" spiritually which would be explained in more detail in Jn 12:37-40. They had rejected Christ and the result was spiritual blindness. Both groups missed the fact that the Father was authenticating Jesus' ministry! One is reminded of the principle in John 7:17 "If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself." They did not know these words were from God because they were unwilling to do His will. THOUGHT Are we ever "out of tune" when He speaks (or tries to speak) to us through His Word and prayer? I am convicted by my own question!

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Spurgeon - We learn, from this narrative, that the voice of God is not understood by everybody. Some of those that stood by said that it thundered, and others said that an angel spake to him. It is necessary that you should be a child of God if you are to know your Father’s voice. Though God is speaking, at this moment in the clearest tones, none will recognize his voice, or understand his words, but those who are taught by his Holy Spirit. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Spurgeon applies this passage - Ah! they did not understand the voice of God, or the cause of the voice speaking to them. If the men of the world in our Saviour’s day did not understand the Father’s voice to the Only Begotten, do not expect that the men of the world today will understand the divine voice in your heart. They will reckon that you are in error, and that God has not spoken to you; it has only thundered. They will be ready to invent all kinds of stories of angels, and I know not what, so as to get rid of the voice of God to you. But you know it; if you are God’s children, you know his voice, and you also know what he means when he speaks. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Lowell

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Spurgeon - “Now,” saith he, “in the hour of my shame, and suffering, and death, is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” It was only by Christ being apparently conquered that Satan could be really vanquished, and there is often no way of victory for a saint except through defeat. When self is slain, then do we truly live. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Now is the crisis of this world Spurgeon - This is a wonderful sentence, — as if, in Christ’s death, the world was judged, and condemned; and so it was; nothing ever so convicted the world of high treason against God as when men said of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s well-beloved Son, “This is the Heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.” (Mt 21:38, Mk 12:7, Lk 20:14) The shedding of the blood of Christ upon the cross is the crimson evidence of the deep transgression of human nature: “Now is the judgment of this world.” There is another rendering of this text, retaining the Greek word, “Now is the crisis of this world (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) And for we who have believed, we have a new relation to the world. Paul wrote "may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world (kosmos) has been crucified to me, and I to the world (kosmos)." (Gal 6:14+) In the soon to come Upper Room Discourse, Jesus would give His last pre-cross teaching summarizing His disciple's (and our) relationship to the world in Jn 16:33 declaring “These things (John 13-16) I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world (kosmos) you have tribulation, but take courage (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) I have overcome (nikao - perfect tense - attained the victory at the cross with enduring effect) the world.” (Jn 16:33+) CHRIST PROPHESIES VICTORY OVER SATAN Now - This is so certain to happen at His imminent crucifixion, it is spoken of as if it had already occurred ("now"). The ruler (archon - prince) of this world (kosmos) - So just as the Cross bring judgment upon the world it also bring about an "judgment" action against Satan. The ruler of this world is Satan (Jn 14:30, Jn 16:11). This is Jesus' proclamation of victory over Satan. Satan's apparent victory over Jesus at the Cross marked his sure defeat, his inevitable doom. Yes, now Satan is the titular, temporary head of the fallen world system, as shown by his offer to Jesus in Luke 4:6+ “I will give You all this domain (exousia) and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish." Note that Jesus did not dispute Satan's claim control over "all this domain." And in his epistle, John writes "We know that we are of God, and that the whole (holos) world lies (present tense - continually) in the power of the evil one." (1Jn 5:19+). A T

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Spurgeon - Thank God for that! His throne was shaken to its fall when Christ died on Calvary. All the powers of darkness suffered eternal defeat in the hour that men and devils fancied they had gained the victory.....“Now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” The overthrow of the usurper began from that time, and that overthrow of the devil is still going on; and, blessed be God, it will reach its completion one of these days, and we shall yet rejoice in a new heaven, and a new earth, on which the trail of the serpent shall never be traced. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Paul writes When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. (Col 2:15+) The writer of Hebrews says "Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives." (Heb 2:14-15+). Now because of Satan's defeat at Calvary believers can resist Satan, James writing "Submit (aorist imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) therefore to God. Resist (aorist imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey)the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7+) Every time a sinner is saved by grace through faith Satan's kingdom suffers a "defeat" made possible by the Cross, Paul explaining that God "rescued us from the domain (exousia = right and might) of darkness (SATAN'S KINGDOM), and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son." (Col 1:13+, cf Acts 26:18+). Jesus alludes to the fate of the ruler (archon) of this world (kosmos) in his Upper Room Discourse John 14:30+ “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler (Satan) of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; John 16:11+ and concerning judgment, because the ruler (Satan) of this world has been judged (AT THE CROSS). And not only will he be cast out of this world, one day (soon) he will be cast out of heaven, John writing "And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him." (Rev 12:9+) Satan's final "casting out" will be a "casting into" described in Revelation 20:10+ after being bound for 1000 years (Rev 20:2,7+) "And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." Bob

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Spurgeon - Christ on the cross draws all men up to himself. I have heard this text quoted as if it referred to Christ being extolled (LIFTED UP) in preaching. Well, it is true that, when Christ is lifted up in the ministry, there is an attractive power; but that is not the first meaning of the text. There is no magnet like the death of Christ. He is able still to draw men unto him because of the attractive force of his atoning sacrifice (ED: Is this not why Paul said "I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." 1Co 2:2+ and "may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Gal 6:14+) (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Marvin Vincent on lifted up - The primary reference is to the cross, but there is included a reference to the resurrection and ascension. Bengel says: "In the very cross there was already something tending towards glory." Brian Bell - In Jn 12:24 we saw the Necessity of the cross; In Jn 12:27 we see the Anguish of the cross; In Jn 12:28 the Master Principle of the cross; here in Jn 12:32 we see the Triumph of the cross. The cross is the divine magnet! And our attitude toward it shows what we are… either steel shavings drawn to it, or ashes that feel no magnetic draw. His crucifixion became His coronation! Sin is not just a breaking of His law, but a wounding of His heart! And that is why He was there at Calvary, as that broken-hearted sufferer. Jesus took our place. {Loves transfigures Calvary; then Calvary transfigures everything else. Jesus has already used this same word picture of being "lifted up" with Nicodemus in John 3:14+ Jesus explaining to him “As Moses lifted up (hupsoo) the serpent in the wilderness (Nu 21:7-9+), even so must the Son of Man be lifted up (hupsoo). And again speaking to the Jews in John 8:28+ Jesus said, “When you lift up (hupsoo) the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me." The crucified Christ of Calvary is the mighty magnet that is to attract multitudes of trembling, doubting, ruined sinners Spurgeon - The Pharisees said, “The world is gone after him;” but Jesus says, “No not while I am riding in state through the streets of Jerusalem; but when I am lifted up, and hung upon the cross, then shall it indeed be true, ‘I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.’” The crucified Christ of Calvary is the mighty magnet that is to attract multitudes of trembling, doubting, ruined sinners, who by grace shall be drawn unto him, and find eternal life in him. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Steven

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Spurgeon - This is the sermon, which has the Greeks for a text. They are already coming, being drawn to Christ: but when he dies, when he is lifted up upon the cross, instead of losing his attractive power, he will have greater drawing force than ever: “I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Note that by saying all men to Myself Jesus is not referring to the false doctrine of universalism. He is referring to all in the sense of His crucifixion would make salvation available to the whole world as in John 3:16+ "For God so loved the world (ALL THE WORLD - JEWS AND GENTILES), that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John uses the word ALL again in John 1:7+ in a similar context, writing " He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that ALL might believe through him." Paul writes that Jesus "gave Himself as a ransom for ALL, the testimony given at the proper time." A T Robertson on all men - By "all men" (pantas) Jesus does not mean every individual man, for some, as Simeon said (Luke 2:34+) are repelled by Christ, but this is the way that Greeks (John 12:32) can and will come to Christ, by the way of the Cross, the only way to the Father (John 14:6+). John Calvin, “When He says all it must be referred to the children of God, who are of His flock. Yet I agree with Chrysostom, who says that Christ used the universal word because the Church was to be gathered from Gentiles and Jews alike.” Jesus does not mean all without exception, but all without distinction Steven

João 12

Spurgeon - COME, ye workers, be encouraged. You fear that you cannot draw a congregation. Try the preaching of a crucified, risen, and ascended Saviour; for this is the greatest “draw” that was ever yet manifested among men. What drew you to Christ but Christ? What draws you to him now but his own blessed self? If you have been drawn to religion by anything else, you will soon be drawn away from it; but Jesus has held you, and will hold you even to the end. Why, then, doubt his power to draw others? Go with the name of Jesus to those who have hitherto been stubborn, and see if it does not draw them. No sort of man is beyond this drawing power. Old and young, rich and poor, ignorant and learned, depraved or amiable—all men shall feel the attractive force. Jesus is the one magnet. Let us not think of any other. Music will not draw to Jesus, neither will eloquence, logic, ceremonial, or noise. Jesus himself must draw men to himself; and Jesus is quite equal to the work in every case. Be not tempted by the quackeries of the day; but as workers for the Lord work in his own way, and draw with the Lord’s own cords. Draw to Christ, and draw by Christ, for then Christ will draw by you. C H Spurgeon - The Marvellous Magnet ‘I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.’ John 12:32–33 I dare say that you have heard the oft-recounted story of the missionaries among the Greenlanders. Our Moravian brethren, full of fire and zeal and self-denial, went right away among the ignorant folk of Greenland, as those people then were, longing to convert them. Using large prudence, they thought, ‘These people are so benighted that it cannot be of any use to preach Jesus Christ to them at first. They do not even know that there is a God, so let us begin by teaching them the nature of the Deity, showing them right and wrong, proving to them the need of atonement for sin, and setting before them the rewards of the righteous and the penalties of the wicked.’ This was judged to be most fit preparatory work. Watch for the result! They went on for years, but had no converts. What was there in all that fine preparatory teaching that could convert anybody? Jesus was being locked out of the Greenlanders’ hearts by those who wanted him to enter. But one day one of the missionaries happened to read to a poor Greenlander the story of Jesus bleeding on the cross, and how God had sent his Son to die, ‘that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life’, and the Greenlander said, ‘Would you read me that again? What wonderful words! Did the Son of God die for us poor Greenlanders that we may live?’ The missionary answered that it was even so; and, clapping his hands, the simple native cried, ‘Why did you not tell us that before?’ Ah, just so! Why not tell them this at once, and leave it to clear its own path? That is the point to begin with. Let us start with ‘the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ ‘God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ To my mind that is the point to begin with and the point to go on with; yes, that is the truth to conclude with. James Butler's Sermon Starters - TRUTHS ABOUT CALVARY “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32). Christ spoke these words about Calvary a few days before His crucifixion. They teach some important truths about the crucifixion. We note three of them. FIRST—THE REQUIREMENT OF CALVARY “If I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” The “lifting up” refers to the cross. Was Calvary necessary? Some seem to think it was not. But our text says otherwise. It says that Calvary was absolutely necessary if there was to be any drawing of men to Christ. Some talk of the saving life of Christ. While Christ lived an impeccable life, it alone could not provide salvation for the sinner. It is the death of Christ on the cross that makes it possible for the sinner to be saved. Had Christ not died on the cross, there would be no Gospel, no soul salvation. If salvation was dependent only on the life of Christ, then Calvary was unnecessary and a mistake. Then the crucifixion of Christ was not planned by God but was a time when God lost control and man and evil took over. But that is not the message of our text. Our text fits with those that tell us that Calvary was planned before the creation of the world (1 Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8). Without Calvary, Christ could not be our Savior. It is absolutely required to given the sinner a Gospel message. SECOND—THE REPROACH OF CALVARY “If I be lifted up from the earth.” Christ was here speaking of a particular form of death, namely, crucifixion. The Jews stoned to bring death to people, the Romans put people on a cross to slay them. Christ would meet death via the Roman method of punishment. He would not be stoned to death, but would die on the cross. The crucifixion on the cross was a very ignominious way of death. It was humbling, for Paul said, Christ humbled himself to “even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8) and said of the cross, “Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians 3:13; cp. Deuteronomy 21:23). The cross made the death of Christ a real reproach for our Lord. Christ suffered much for us on the cross, and that suffering included much reproach. THIRD—THE REBUKE OF CALVARY “Will draw all men unto me.” Our text says Calvary is a real rebuke to man. It says that men have gone away from God (otherwise they would not need to be drawn to God). God did not move, man moved. As soon as man sinned they tried to leave the presence of God (Genesis 3:8 and 4:16). Isaiah 53:6 calls this moving “gone astray.” But God in grace would draw man back to Him. But it takes Calvary to draw men to God. Nothing else will do it. This is the only plan of salvation that will accomplish the need of man. Man has tried a number of other remedies, but nothing brings man back to God except Calvary. As the hymn writer said, “The way of the cross leads home.” C H Spurgeon - Christ lifted up “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” John 12:32 Christ preached his own truth, and the common people heard him gladly, and the multitude flocked to listen to him. My good ministering brother, have you got an empty church? Do you want to fill it? I will give you a good recipe, and if you will follow it, you will, in all probability, have your chapel full to the doors. Burn all your manuscripts, that is number one. Give up your notes, that is number two. Read your Bible and preach it as you find it in the simplicity of its language. And give up all your latinized English. Begin to tell the people what you have felt in your own heart, and beseech the Holy Spirit to make your heart as hot as a furnace for zeal. Then go out and talk to the people. Speak to them like their brother. Be a man amongst men. Tell them what you have felt and what you know, and tell them heartily with a good, bold face; and, my dear friend, I do not care who you are, you will get a congregation. But if you say, “Now, to get a congregation, I must buy an organ.” That will not serve you a bit. “But we must have a good choir.” I would not care to have a congregation that comes through a good choir. “No,” says another, “but really I must alter my style of preaching a little.” My dear friend, it is not the style of preaching, it is the style of feeling. People sometimes begin to mimic other preachers, because they are successful. Why, the worst preachers are those who mimic others, whom they look upon as standards. Preach naturally. Preach out of your hearts just what you feel to be true, and the old soul-stirring words of the gospel will soon draw a congregation. Oswald Chambers - The right lines of work I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto Me. John 12:32. Very few of us have any understanding of the reason why Jesus Christ died. If sympathy is all that human beings need, then the Cross of Christ is a farce, there was no need for it. What the world needs is not ‘a little bit of love,’ but a surgical operation. When you are face to face with a soul in difficulty spiritually, remind yourself of Jesus Christ on the Cross. If that soul can get to God on any other line, then the Cross of Jesus Christ is unnecessary. If you can help others by your sympathy or understanding, you are a traitor to Jesus Christ. You have to keep your soul rightly related to God and pour out for others on His line, not pour out on the human line and ignore God. The great note to-day is amiable religiosity. The one thing we have to do is to exhibit Jesus Christ crucified, to lift Him up all the time. Every doctrine that is not imbedded in the Cross of Jesus will lead astray. If the worker himself believes in Jesus Christ and is banking on the Reality of Redemption, the people he talks to must be concerned. The thing that remains and deepens is the worker’s simple relationship to Jesus Christ; his usefulness to God depends on that and that alone. The calling of a New Testament worker is to uncover sin and to reveal Jesus Christ as Saviour, consequently he cannot be poetical, he must be sternly surgical. We are sent by God to lift up Jesus Christ, not to give wonderfully beautiful discourses. We have to probe straight down as deeply as God has probed us, to be keen in sensing the Scriptures which bring the truth straight home and to apply them fearlessly. Talmage - Archimedes wanted a fulcrum on which to place his lever, and then he said he could move the world. Calvary is the fulcrum, and the Cross of Christ is the lever; by that power all nations shall yet be lifted. C H Spurgeon - The Great Attraction ‘And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.’ John 12:32 Believers working for Christ, learn from the text that if you would win souls, you must draw them rather than drive them. Very few people are bullied into heaven. The way to bring men to Jesus Christ is not by rough words, black looks and continually warning them, but rather by gentle invitations. Tenderly as a nurse with her child must we seek to win souls. In the second place, if we would win souls, Jesus Christ must be our great attraction. In the Sunday-school class, visiting from house to house, or elsewhere, we must keep close to the text and the text must be the cross. I must confess there is a very great sweetness to my soul in preaching about Christ. I hope it is never a weariness to preach any part of divine truth, but it is delight itself to preach up the Master: then we have to deal with the heart of the matter. When we preach Jesus Christ, we are not putting out the plates, knives and forks for the feast, but we are handing out the bread itself. Now we are not, as it were, working in the field at the hedging, the ditching and the sowing, but we are gathering the golden sheaves and bringing the harvest home. If we want a hundredfold harvest, we must sow seed which was steeped in the blood of Calvary; and, dear friends, if you want to be drawn nearer to Christ yourselves, do not go to Moses to help you, but get to Christ. Go to Christ to get to Christ. ‘I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men’—where?—‘unto me.’ Jesus draws to himself. Recollect you have never experienced the fulness of the drawings unless you are drawn to Christ. If you are only drawn to holiness, or to the church, or to good experiences, you have not obtained the fulness and soul of the matter. You must be drawn to Christ. J C Philpot - Wherever Jesus is graciously and experimentally manifested to the soul, and made known by any sweet revelation of His glorious Person, atoning blood, and finished work, a secret yet sacred power is put forth, whereby we are drawn unto Him, and every grace of the Spirit flows toward Him as towards its attractive centre. Thus Jeremiah speaks of the saints of God as coming and singing in the height of Zion, and flowing together to the goodness of the Lord. And thus Isaiah speaks to the church of God, “Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear [or as the word rather means, shall ‘palpitate’ with love and joy], and be enlarged.” This view of Christ by faith is what the apostle speaks of to the Galatians, as Jesus evidently set forth before their eyes. As thus set before our eyes, He becomes the object of our faith to look at, (“Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth”); “the altogether lovely,” to whom love flows; and the Intercessor within the veil in whom hope effectually anchors. As, then, the blessed Lord is revealed to the soul by the power of God, His glorious Person held up before the eyes of the spiritual understanding, His blood and righteousness discovered to the conscience, and His suitability to all our wants and woes experimentally manifested, the blessed Spirit raises up a living faith whereby He is looked unto and laid hold of, and thus He becomes precious to all that believe in His name. The Cross Of Liberty I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself. —John 12:32 Today's Scripture: John 12:23-36 Towering above New York Harbor is the Statue of Liberty. For more than 100 years, that stately lady, with freedom’s torch held high, has beckoned millions of people who are choking from the stifling air of tyranny and oppression. They’ve been drawn to what that monument symbolizes—freedom. Inscribed on Lady Liberty’s pedestal are the deeply moving words by Emma Lazarus: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” A different monument towers over history, offering spiritual freedom to enslaved people throughout the world. It’s the Roman cross where Jesus Christ hung 2,000 years ago. At first the scene repels. Then we see the sinless Son of God dying in our place to pay the penalty for our sins. From the cross we hear the words “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34) and “It is finished!” (John 19:30). As we trust in Christ as our Savior, the heavy burden of guilt rolls from our sin-weary souls. We are free for all eternity. J J Knap - Draw All Men Unto Me John 12:32 Jesus spoke this word in reference to the question of some Greek who wished to see Him. In those Greek He met some of the most honourable representatives of the heathen world. During His earthly life, however, He was not sent but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel, so that the moment had not come yet to bring the message of salvation to the people that lived still in darkness. Once Christ would be lifted up from the earth upon the cross,—then the hour would have come when He would draw all men, not only the Jews any more, but Jews and Heathen together, unto Himself, to prove in this manner that He was not only the Saviour of one nation, but in the full truth of the word, the Saviour of the world. This is a rich promise that the sinner’s heart requires. When we have to open our heart before the Lord, we have to confess in shame, that by nature we live far from God and Christ. We are drawn and captivated by something else; we all experience the seducing power of the sinful world and of her captain, as Jesus called the Evil One. A magnet lies hidden in sin, and our heart is the steel that is pulled towards it and cleaves to it, while the holiness and the righteousness of the Kingdom of God does not allure or captivate our fleshly heart. However, thanks be unto God, high upon the cross, high upon the throne, is One who draws us unto Him and binds us to Him. It is a drawing with power. Even the strongest bonds of sin and world, yea, even of the prince of darkness, shall break like threads of linen and we are released inwardly from bondmen to reconciled children of God. It is a drawing in grace. It breaks our unwillingness, it conquers our sluggishness, and it takes away our reluctance and our mistrust. It is a drawing in faithfulness. Once the Saviour has begun a good work, He shall never allow it to fail, but He leads us from light to light, from strength to strength, from glory to glory. Finally, it is a drawing in all-bearing, all-covering, all-forgiving love. No matter how often resisted, He returns again and again. However many times grieved, He does not reject us. However often treated like the least worthy of men, He does not get tired of drawing, as long as it is the time of grace. He also graciously keeps them whom He has drawn once. Our soul is kept safely with Him till in and beyond death. When our hour of death has struck, our spirit escapes from us, and our eyes break in mists, the text of today shall be fulfilled completely: He shall draw us through death and grave to the place of elevation,—where He is, His servant shall also be. John 12:33 But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die. BGT John 12:33 τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγεν σημαίνων ποίῳ θανάτῳ ἤμελλεν ἀποθνῄσκειν. KJV John 12:33 This he said, signifying what death he should die. NET John 12:33 (Now he said this to indicate clearly what kind of death he was going to die.) CSB John 12:33 He said this to signify what kind of death He was about to die. ESV John 12:33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. NIV John 12:33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. NLT John 12:33 He said this to indicate how he was going to die. NRS John 12:33 He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. NJB John 12:33 By these words he indicated the kind of death he would die. NAB John 12:33 He said this indicating the kind of death he would die. YLT John 12:33 And this he said signifying by what death he was about to die; MIT John 12:33 He said this indicating what kind of death he was about to experience. He was saying this to indicat: Jn 18:32 21:19 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passage: Deuteronomy 21:22-23 “If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance. John 18:32 to fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying (semaino) by what kind of death He was about to die. John 21:19 Now this He said, signifying (semaino) by what kind of death he (PETER) would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He *said to him, “Follow Me!” Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us–for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”– JESUS EXPLAINS WHAT LIFTED UP MEANT But (Now is better than "but") He was saying this to indicate (semaino) the kind of death (thanatos) by which He was (mello - was about) to die (apothnesko) - John now gives a parenthetical (or "editorial") explanation (remember he wrote after all these events and many things that were unclear became very clear). John explains that the meaning of lifted up in Jn 12:32 is a reference to Jesus' death on the Cross. Thus He would fulfill the Scripture that said Lord had to die by hanging on a tree (Dt 21:23; Gal 3:13) and not by the usual Jewish method of stoning.

João 12

Spurgeon - He alluded to his crucifixion, which is the great attractive center of mankind. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Indicate (made clear)(4591)(semaino from semma = a mark or sign) has a basic meaning of give a sign, to signify especially with the purpose of revealing, explaining or interpreting something (See Rev 1:1). It means to intentionally produce an impression and thus to signal or signify something, to make known, to report, to communicate (Acts 25:27 = "indicate the charges", Rev 1:1 = served to communicate and give a prophecy). John uses semaino three times in describing how Jesus would die (Jn 12:33, 18:32) and how Peter would die (John 21:19). In the context of making known before it means to prophetically foretell (Jn 12:33 - Jesus predicting His death). In the Lxx of Nu 10:9 the idea is to give a public sign or signal. In the Lxx uses in Ezekiel the idea was to sound an alarm, blow a trumpet (Ezek 33:3, 33:6, cf Jer 4:5). John 12:34 The crowd then answered Him, "We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this Son of Man?" BGT John 12:34 Ἀπεκρίθη οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ ὄχλος· ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν ἐκ τοῦ νόμου ὅτι ὁ χριστὸς μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ πῶς λέγεις σὺ ὅτι δεῖ ὑψωθῆναι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου; τίς ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου; KJV John 12:34 The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? NET John 12:34 Then the crowd responded, "We have heard from the law that the Christ will remain forever. How can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this Son of Man?" CSB John 12:34 Then the crowd replied to Him, "We have heard from the scripture 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?" ESV John 12:34 So the crowd answered him, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?" NIV John 12:34 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'?" NLT John 12:34 The crowd responded, "We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?" NRS John 12:34 The crowd answered him, "We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?" NJB John 12:34 The crowd answered, 'The Law has taught us that the Christ will remain for ever. So how can you say, "The Son of man must be lifted up"? Who is this Son of man?' NAB John 12:34 So the crowd answered him, "We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. Then how can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?" YLT John 12:34 the multitude answered him, 'We heard out of the law that the Christ doth remain -- to the age; and how dost thou say, That it behoveth the Son of Man to be lifted up? who is this -- the Son of Man?' MIT John 12:34 The crowd replied to him, "We heard from the law that the messiah remains forever. How do you say it is imperative that the human one is to be lifted up? Who is this human one?" We have heard out of the Law: Jn 10:34 Jn 15:25 Ro 3:19 5:18 Christ: 2Sa 7:13 Ps 72:7,17-19 Ps 89:36,37 Ps 110:4 Isa 9:7 53:8 Eze 37:24,25 Da 2:44 7:14,27 Mic 4:7 who: Jn 3:14-16 5:25-27 8:53-58 Mt 16:13 21:10 22:42-45 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: 2 Samuel 7:13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. Psalm 72:7; 17-19 In his days may the righteous flourish, And abundance of peace till the moon is no more. Psalm 72:17-19 17 May his name endure forever; May his name increase as long as the sun shines; And let men bless themselves by him; Let all nations call him blessed. 18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders. 19 And blessed be His glorious name forever; And may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen. Psalm 89:4 I will establish your seed forever And build up your throne to all generations.” Selah. Psalm 89:29 “So I will establish his descendants forever And his throne as the days of heaven. Psalm 89:36-37 “His descendants shall endure forever And his throne as the sun before Me. 37 “It shall be established forever like the moon, And the witness in the sky is faithful.” Selah. Psalm 110:4 The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” Isaiah 9:7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. Daniel 7:13 I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. THE CROWD'S CONFUSION The crowd then answered Him - Steven Cole sees this not as a sincere question, but a defiant challenge. (Their “we” and “You” are emphatic in the Greek text, pitting them against Jesus.) These same Jews who had been ready only a short time earlier to proclaim Jesus as their King were now unwilling to follow Him as a crucified King! They recognized that lifted up was a reference to His crucifixion. Israel was looking for a King of their land, not a King of their heart! Spurgeon - As they were always doing, capaciously answering; not answering to him with sentiments that responded to his, but replying against him with their caviling (making petty or unnecessary objections). (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) We have heard (akouo) out of the Law that the Christ (the Messiah) is to remain (meno) forever (aion - unto the age) - First, notice the contrast between the Jews and Jesus as brought out by the pronouns WE and YOU. They are alluding to Messianic prophecy (so apparently they were somewhat Biblically literate) which they had heard but which they had misinterpreted. While they say Law, it is likely they were not referring solely to the Pentateuch. In light of the fact that they have understood He was referring to death with the phrase lifted up, they are confused (and confrontational) because they thought the Messiah would remain and reign forever so He could not be the Messiah based on their faulty logic. Like most Jews, they understood only one coming of the Messiah, not two. And remember these fickle, faithless Jews now confronting Jesus are the same ones who were just calling Him King as He rode in on a donkey!

João 12

Spurgeon - As if it could not be true that Christ, in his divine nature, abides forever, and yet, as Man, could be lifted up to die. It was a sneering question, “Who is this Son of man?” Our Lord did not answer it, thus teaching us that some people are not worth answering. Instead of replying to their question, Jesus gave them a practical admonition. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) John 12:35 So Jesus said to them, "For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. BGT John 12:35 εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ἔτι μικρὸν χρόνον τὸ φῶς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστιν. περιπατεῖτε ὡς τὸ φῶς ἔχετε, ἵνα μὴ σκοτία ὑμᾶς καταλάβῃ· καὶ ὁ περιπατῶν ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ οὐκ οἶδεν ποῦ ὑπάγει. KJV John 12:35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. NET John 12:35 Jesus replied, "The light is with you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. CSB John 12:35 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. ESV John 12:35 So Jesus said to them, "The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. NIV John 12:35 Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. NLT John 12:35 Jesus replied, "My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. NRS John 12:35 Jesus said to them, "The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. NJB John 12:35 Jesus then said: The light will be with you only a little longer now. Go on your way while you have the light, or darkness will overtake you, and nobody who walks in the dark knows where he is going. NAB John 12:35 Jesus said to them, "The light will be among you only a little while. Walk while you have the light, so that darkness may not overcome you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going. YLT John 12:35 Jesus, therefore, said to them, 'Yet a little time is the light with you; walk while ye have the light, that darkness may not overtake you; and he who is walking in the darkness hath not known where he goeth; MIT John 12:35 Jesus said to them, "For only a little longer will the light be among you. Walk in the light while you have it, lest darkness overtake you. One who moves about in darkness does not know where he is going. For a little while longer the Light is among you: Jn 7:33 Jn 9:4 16:16 Heb 3:7,8 Walk while you have the Light: Jn 12:36,46, Jn 1:5-9, Jn 8:12, Jn 9:5 Isa 2:5 Isa 42:6,7 Ro 13:12-14 Eph 5:8,14,15 1Th 5:5-8 1Jn 1:6,7 so that darkness will not overtake you: Jn 12:39,40 Ps 69:22-28 Jer 13:16,17 Ro 11:7-10 2Co 3:14 he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes: Jn 11:10 Pr 4:19 1Jn 2:8-11 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: John 1:5-9 The Light (phos) shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. 9 There was the true Light (phos) which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light (phos) of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light (phos) of life.” John 9:5 “While I am in the world, I am the Light (phos) of the world.” 1 John 2:11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness (skotia) and walks in the darkness (skotia), and does not know where he is going because the darkness (skotia) has blinded his eyes. A NARROW WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO WALK IN THE LIGHT So (oun) - Term of conclusion. Jesus responds to the crowd but does not directly answer their question. Note that John 12:35-36 and Jn 12:44-50 represent Jesus' last public teaching in John's Gospel. Luke does record HIm teaching in the Temple in the last week during the days before He was nailed to the Cross (Lk 21:37-38+). The Light is about to go out! Paul agrees writing that “AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU.” Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION” (2Co 6:2+) THOUGHT - Are you trying to remain "neutral" about Jesus? Are you procrastinating, putting off receiving His gift of salvation? There is no neutrality when it comes to the Cross of Christ, for all men are either on one side or the other. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved TODAY, NOW, YOUR ACCEPTABLE TIME! (cf Acts 16:31+) David Guzik rightly points out "We must believe on Jesus while the light is there, because it won’t last forever. God’s Spirit will not always strive with man (Genesis 6:3), and we must answer His call while it rings to us. Spurgeon - At first sight, this may not seem to have been an answer to their question, “Who is this Son of man?” Yet it was a very direct answer, for he was “the Light of the world;” and as the light was soon to be withdrawn from them, there was all the greater need of Christ’s injunctions, “Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you.. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.” (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Steven

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Spurgeon applies this truth - It is always well to use the light that we already have. If any man will use the light he already has, God will be sure to give him more. That is a good saying of an old Puritan, “If thou hast starlight, thank God for it, and he will give thee moonlight; and when thou hast moonlight, give thanks to God for it, and he will give thee sunlight.” And so it shall be. Nothing is worse than sinning against light. If it is only the light of conscience, even if you know it is not perfect, yet, nevertheless, never sin against it; for, if you do-you will quench it, and to quench the light you have, is the way to effectually prevent your having any more: “While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.” (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) John

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Spurgeon - What a sad condition to be in, not to know where you are going! Are there not some of you, whom I am now addressing, who do not know where you are going? Yet, if you would but take the trouble to look, you might easily know that, so long as you continue in the paths of sin, you are going down to the chambers of death. Oh, that God’s Holy Spirit would give you sufficient light to enable you to see where you are going! You surely do not want to take “a leap in the dark.” Oh, that you may have the grace to turn from the downward way, and to seek the heavenward road! (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Warren

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Spurgeon - There is such a thing as judicial blindness. If men can see, and yet will not see, God is at last so provoked by their wickedness that he takes away the light altogether, and removes from them the very faculty of sight. It is not surprising that it should be so, for it was so with the generation in which Christ lived. They had so long rejected the true prophet, — so long refused to listen to the voice of God, that, at last, he abandoned them to their own ways; and nothing worse can happen to a man than to be abandoned of God. If God casts thee off, thou art lost indeed. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Steven

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Spurgeon - Israel and Britain. A note of warning ‘But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: that the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?’ John 12:37–38 I am growingly fearful lest our own country should furnish a parallel to all this. Read the story of England, beginning where you will, and see how gracious God has been to us. Note well our great deliverances, from the destruction of the Spanish Armada to the overthrow of Napoleon. Do not forget how often this little country has been made victorious in wars against great peoples, who thought to swallow her up. Then reflect how God sent the light to us, how the gospel spread all over England and how it has in many ways been rejected. How often since the days of Cromwell Rome has been allowed to dim the light of our Protestantism and how it labours to do so still! See how this people have received the truth of heaven, but again and again have proved false to it, turning at one time to superstition and at another time to infidelity. At this moment we are rich and, despite depression in business, we are less tried by it than any other nation. What comes of all this mercy but increased sin? At this moment we have sin rampant among us almost beyond precedent. Think how the poor are oppressed and ground down with awful poverty in many parts of this great city. Shall not God avenge the cry of starving women? Worse still, those who dare walk our streets after sundown tell us that Sodom, in its most putrid days, could scarce exceed this metropolis for open vice. To our infinite disgust and horror, the names of certain of the greatest in the land are openly mentioned in connection with the filthiest debauchery. It is a hideous evil that the dregs of vice should be the chosen luxury of certain of our hereditary legislators and rulers. Woe unto thee, O land! Matt Carter - What is Unbelief - ILLUSTRATION - God used George Whitefield in a way seldom seen in this world. He was the main instrument in the spiritual revival known as the Great Awakening, which swept across the United States in the mid-1700s. Whitefield was also good friends with Benjamin Franklin. Their friendship began when Whitefield came to Philadelphia in 1739 and lasted until his death in 1770. During the course of this thirty-one-year friendship, Franklin was the primary publisher of all of Whitefield’s sermons and journals. Forty-five times Whitefield’s sermons were reprinted in Franklin’s newspaper, The Pennsylvania Gazette, and eight times the sermon filled the entire front page. Franklin published ten editions of Whitefield’s journals and sold thousands of reprints of Whitefield’s sermons. Their relationship extended beyond a business relationship. On more than one occasion when Whitefield came to Philadelphia, he stayed with Franklin in his home. When some of the religious elite criticized Whitefield in another local paper, Franklin wrote a rebuttal. His support for Whitefield, along with a regular correspondence between the two, continued for the next thirty years. Despite their friendship and Whitefield’s continued presentation of the gospel, Franklin never responded in faith. In his autobiography Franklin wrote about Whitefield: “He used sometimes to pray for my conversion, but never had the satisfaction of believing that his prayers were heard” (quoted in Isaacson, Benjamin Franklin, 113). How do we explain Franklin’s rejection of the gospel? He heard and read hundreds of the sermons of America’s greatest evangelist. He spent hours with him discussing the gospel. He received dozens of letters over the span of thirty years, yet he was unmoved. Why didn’t Benjamin Franklin believe? Why does anyone reject the gospel of Jesus Christ? (See Exalting Jesus in John ) John 12:38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?" BGT John 12:38 ἵνα ὁ λόγος Ἠσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου πληρωθῇ ὃν εἶπεν· κύριε, τίς ἐπίστευσεν τῇ ἀκοῇ ἡμῶν; καὶ ὁ βραχίων κυρίου τίνι ἀπεκαλύφθη; KJV John 12:38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? NET John 12:38 so that the word of Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled. He said, "Lord, who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" CSB John 12:38 But this was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet, who said: Lord, who has believed our message? And who has the arm of the Lord been revealed to? ESV John 12:38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" NIV John 12:38 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?" NLT John 12:38 This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted: "LORD, who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm?" NRS John 12:38 This was to fulfill the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah: "Lord, who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" NJB John 12:38 this was to fulfil the words of the prophet Isaiah: Lord, who has given credence to what they have heard from us, and who has seen in it a revelation of the Lord's arm? NAB John 12:38 in order that the word which Isaiah the prophet spoke might be fulfilled: "Lord, who has believed our preaching, to whom has the might of the Lord been revealed?" YLT John 12:38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he said, 'Lord, who gave credence to our report? and the arm of the Lord -- to whom was it revealed?' MIT John 12:38 This correlated with the fulfillment of the utterance of the prophet Isaiah, who said: Yahveh, who believed our report? To whom was Yahveh's arm revealed? This was to fulfill: Jn 15:25 17:12 19:24,36,37 Mt 27:35 Ac 13:27-29 Isaiah: 2Ch 32:20, Isaiah, Mt 15:7 Ac 8:28-30 Ro 10:20 who: Isa 53:1 Ro 10:16 the arm: Ps 44:3 Isa 40:10,11 Isaiah 51:5,9 1Co 1:24 revealed: Mt 16:17 2Co 3:14-18 4:3-6 Ga 1:16 Eph 1:17-20 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: John 1:9-11 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. Isaiah 40:10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might, With His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him And His recompense before Him. Isaiah 51:9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; Awake as in the days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces, Who pierced the dragon? Isaiah 62:8 The LORD has sworn by His right hand and by His strong arm, “I will never again give your grain as food for your enemies; Nor will foreigners drink your new wine for which you have labored.” ISAIAH 53 PROPHECY FULFILLED Unbelief was not only foreseen by Scripture but on that very account necessitated by Scripture. D A Carson has an interesting comment to this last section which he calls the "Theology of Unbelief" (Jn 12:37-50)- Some explanation must be given for such large-scale, catastrophic unbelief (ED: MOST OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL REJECTED THEIR MESSIAH). There is ample evidence that the substantial unbelief of the Jewish people before the resurrection was a major hindrance to the conversion of Jews after the resurrection. Surely (it was argued) we may call into question the messianic claims of One so thoroughly rejected by the Jewish people by whom and for whom the prophetic Scriptures were written! The Christian answer, as clearly articulated in Paul (esp. Rom. 9–11) as here, is that this unbelief was not only foreseen by Scripture but on that very account necessitated by Scripture." (BORROW The Gospel according to John) This was to fulfill (pleroo) the word (logos) of Isaiah the prophet (prophetes) which he spoke - What is "this?" In context this is the unbelief of the Jews in the face of incredible spiritual light. The Greek sentence actually begins with hina which introduces a purpose clause, which is missed in the NAS rendering but is accurately translated in the NET and ESV. In other words, the "purpose" of their rejection was to fulfill prophecy! Do you feel any "tension" in that statement? Of course you do, it is that ever present mysterious tension between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. Paul also quotes Isaiah writing "However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?” (Ro 10:16).

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Spurgeon - It is an awful thing to resist the Spirit of God, for if his softening influences are withdrawn, the heart grows hard; if his enlightening influences are taken away, the eyes of the understanding are darkened. I do believe there are many who have so long trifled with conscience and violated the best instincts of their nature that they are given up as those who are past hope. I pray God that it may not be so with any here; but it was so with many in the generation amongst which Christ laboured. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) John's description reminds me of Stephen's first and last sermon to the antagonistic Jews in Jerusalem, in which he declared “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did." (Acts 7:51+) SO THAT (hina) - The divine purpose. This is a retributive judgment, where retributive means relating to, or intended to be, deserved and severe punishment proportionate to the crime, in this case Israel's "crime" of unbelief by most of the nation. A T

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Spurgeon - Isaiah was sent upon a painful errand, to tell the people that they should hear, but they should not understand; that they should see, but they should not perceive; and so it happened to Israel as a nation, and to this day Israel rejects the true Messiah. Oh, that none of us may imitate their evil example by negligence and contempt of the revelation of God, lest after playing with Scripture, and trifling with the Christ of God, the Lord should at last in anger declare that we should see, but should not perceive, that we should hear, but should not understand......This passage is very frequently quoted in the Old Testament: it was so exceedingly apropos to the condition of the unbelieving Jews. They were wilfully blinded. They could see it; they were forced to hear it; there was much that even touched their hearts; but they hardened their heart against it, and to this day they remain the same. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) AND PERCEIVE (noeo) WITH THEIR HEART (kardia) AND BE CONVERTED (strepho) AND I HEAL (iaomai) THEM - Be converted means to be turned. The only One who could "turn" them is the Spirit. But they resisted the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51+). And sadly as the saying goes "turn or burn!" It is a sobering reality that those who persistently harden their hearts against God may find themselves hardened by Him! John MacArthur sums up this disconcerting passage writing "Israel’s rejection of Jesus Christ was the culmination of years of rebellion, misused privileges, and forsaking of divine truth. The terrible result was that when the truth came in the person of Jesus Christ, many could not believe. Thinking they could see, they were in reality spiritually blind (cf. Matt. 15:14; 23:16, 17, 19, 24, 26; John 9:40–41). (ED: HERE IS WHERE THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY AND MANS' RESPONSIBILITY COMES IN) But God’s sovereign, judicial hardening of Israel did not negate the culpability of those who refused to believe in Christ. As Leon

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Spurgeon - Christ is in the Old Testament in many places where, as yet, even we have never seen him. I doubt not that he lies hidden away in many a Psalm, and many a prophetic utterance that has not yet been fully expounded, or even comprehended by our finite minds. Oh, for eyes to see him where he sits in his ancient state: What a solemn fact this is, though, that God does allow men to be given over to blindness of eyes and hardness of heart! I sometimes fear that it is so with this age. Men will not see; they will not believe; they are desperately set on skepticism. It has become a fashion with them. Like a torrent, it sweeps through the very churches that bear the name of Christ. My fear is God in his wrath may give up our land to this curse, and then where will our hope be? (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) John 12:42 Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; BGT John 12:42 ὅμως μέντοι καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἀρχόντων πολλοὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοὺς Φαρισαίους οὐχ ὡμολόγουν ἵνα μὴ ἀποσυνάγωγοι γένωνται· KJV John 12:42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: NET John 12:42 Nevertheless, even among the rulers many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they would not confess Jesus to be the Christ, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue. CSB John 12:42 Nevertheless, many did believe in Him even among the rulers, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, so they would not be banned from the synagogue. ESV John 12:42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; NIV John 12:42 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; NLT John 12:42 Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn't admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. NRS John 12:42 Nevertheless many, even of the authorities, believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; NJB John 12:42 And yet there were many who did believe in him, even among the leading men, but they did not admit it, because of the Pharisees and for fear of being banned from the synagogue: NAB John 12:42 Nevertheless, many, even among the authorities, believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not acknowledge it openly in order not to be expelled from the synagogue. YLT John 12:42 Still, however, also out of the rulers did many believe in him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing, that they might not be put out of the synagogue, MIT John 12:42 Nevertheless, many of the leaders actually believed in Jesus, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess allegiance to him lest they would be excommunicated. Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him: Jn 3:2 Jn 7:48-51 Jn 11:45 Jn 19:38-39 not: Mt 10:32 Lu 12:8 Ro 10:9-10 1Jn 4:2,15 for fear: Jn 7:13 Jn 9:22,34 16:2 Pr 29:25 Isa 51:7 Isa 57:11 66:5 Mt 26:69-75 Lu 6:22 Ac 5:41 1Pe 4:12-16 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 10:32+ “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. Romans 10:9-10+ that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 1 John 4:2; 15+ By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. Mark 8:38+ Jesus declared that "whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” John 7:48+ No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he? John 7:50-52+ Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) *said to them, 51 “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” 52 They answered him, “You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.” Jn 19:38-39+. After these things Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret (krupto) one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. 39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. THIS SOUNDS GOOD ON PAPER....BUT... Nevertheless (introduces a contrast) many even of the rulers (archon) believed (pisteuo) in Him - The rulers refers to the members of the Sanhedrin which was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews. This is a difficult verse. Were they truly saved or not. After all Nicodemus (who was among the rulers) and Joseph of Arimathea were genuine, albeit secret believers for fear of the Jews (Jn 19:38-39). On the other hand we have seen John use the same verb believe (pisteuo) in describing non-saving belief in Jn 2:23-25+ and Jn 8:30, 31-59+. While some writers feel this belief was unto salvation, the following description of these men make it very doubtful that they were truly born again. Recall their question in John 7:48+ "No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he?" Here John says "many." but (term of contrast) because (term of explanation) of the Pharisees (pharisaios) they were not (ouch - absolutely not) confessing (homologeo) Him - Because of the Pharisees as explained in the next verse, they would not confess Jesus as the Messiah. Confessing in a negative imperfect means "they kept on not confessing" which is opposite of what genuine believers do. Paul is very clear in Romans 10:9-10+ regarding the importance of confession in salvation writing "if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." If one strictly follows that passage, it is difficult to believe that "many" (or "any") of the rulers were genuine believers. That said, there is a difference of opinion among the commentators (see multiple comments below). Where there is true faith, there will be confession of Christ, sooner or later

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Spurgeon - Are there any here who believe in Christ, but who have never confessed him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue, and lose the praise of men? Are you afraid of your family, your father, or your husband; or is there some friend who would be angry with you if you confessed Christ? If so, be no longer such a coward, I pray you, but come out boldly, and confess him who will not be ashamed to confess you before his Father and the holy angels (Lk 12:8+)......And this is a common disease to this day. There are many who know the truth, who, nevertheless, keep very quiet about it. They do not like to be despised; they cannot endure to seem to be separate from their fellowmen; it is not respectable to be decided for Christ, and to come out from among them, so they love the praise of men more than the praise of God. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Rod Mattoon - THE SILENT BELIEVERS—John 12:42-43 Many believed among the chief rulers. These were among the wealthy group of the Sanhedrin. They feared excommunication by the Pharisees, the religious leaders who held strict adherence to the Law. Excommunication could last as long as thirty days. They could still go to the Temple, but could not enter by the main gate. They were not allowed to shave and had to wear mourning garments. Sackcloth was very itchy and scratchy. So was a beard in the desert heat of the Middle East. A more severe excommunication meant to be formally cursed which excluded them from all the people. They could not enter the Temple or a synagogue. Some were "cut off which meant they were condemned to desolation. No one could buy from them or sell to them. These men were trying to be secret disciples. This is impossible and a contradiction in terms. Either secrecy kills discipleship or discipleship kills secrecy. Jesus opposed secret discipleship. Matthew 10:32-33—... Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. [33] But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. John 5:44—How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Where there is true faith in Christ, there will be a confession of Christ sooner or later. Later may be the time for these men. The problem with the chief rulers is they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. They were not of much use with this attitude. Men and women who loved the praise of God more than the praise of men were greatly used of God. The list of examples include: Daniel, Moses, Peter, Paul, Esther, and the three Hebrews. The Bible teaches that when we are silent, when we should be speaking about the Lord, this leads to sorrow. This is ironic, because sorrow is what we try to avoid. (Mattoon's Treasures – Treasures from John, Volume 2) Whatever the Cost They would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear. John 12:42 Today's Scripture & Insight: John 12:37–43 The film Paul, Apostle of Christ takes an unflinching look at persecution in the early days of the church. Even the movie’s minor characters reveal how dangerous it was to follow Jesus. Consider these roles listed in the credits: Beaten Woman; Beaten Man; Christian Victims 1, 2, and 3. Identifying with Christ often came at a high cost. And in much of the world, it’s still dangerous to follow Jesus. Many in the church today can relate to that kind of persecution. Some of us, however, may feel “persecuted” prematurely—outraged any time our faith is mocked or we suspect we were passed over for a promotion because of our beliefs. Obviously, there’s a colossal difference between sacrificing social status and sacrificing our lives. Realistically, though, self-interest, financial stability, and social acceptance have always been intense human motivators. We see this in the actions of some of Jesus’s earliest converts. The apostle John reports that, mere days before Jesus’s crucifixion, although most Israelites were still rejecting Him (John 12:37), many “even among the leaders believed” (v. 42). However, “They would not openly acknowledge their faith . . . for they loved human praise more than praise from God” (vv. 42–43). We might be tempted to judge the early believers who hid their faith, but are we any different? Are there times we choose to be quiet so we can hide our identification with Jesus? Jesus, I want to be a close friend of Yours. John 12:43 for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God. BGT John 12:43 ἠγάπησαν γὰρ τὴν δόξαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων μᾶλλον ἤπερ τὴν δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ. KJV John 12:43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. NET John 12:43 For they loved praise from men more than praise from God. CSB John 12:43 For they loved praise from men more than praise from God. ESV John 12:43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. NIV John 12:43 for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. NLT John 12:43 For they loved human praise more than the praise of God. NRS John 12:43 for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God. NJB John 12:43 they put human glory before God's glory. NAB John 12:43 For they preferred human praise to the glory of God. YLT John 12:43 for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God. MIT John 12:43 For they loved human approval more than honor from God. they: Jn 5:41,44 Mt 6:2 23:5-7 Lu 16:15 Ps 22:29 1Th 2:6 the approval of: Jn 12:26 8:54 1Sa 2:30 Lu 19:17 Ro 2:7 1Co 4:5 2Co 10:18 1Pe 1:7,8 3:4 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries LOVING MEN'S APPROVAL OVER GOD'S: CAMOUFLAGE OR COUNTERFEIT? For (gar) What is John explaining? They loved (agapao) the approval (doxa) of men rather than the approval (doxa) of God (theos) - One is reminded of Jesus' words in John 5:44+ where Jesus asked “How can you believe, when you receive glory (doxa) from one another and you do not seek the glory (doxa) that is from the one and only God?" THOUGHT - Let's all (including the one writing this) be honest in answering this next question. Are you (am I) more interested in pleasing men than in pleasing God? Col 1:9-10+ is a prayer for us to be pleasing, so it is good to pray it frequently for others and ourselves...."so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." In Jesus' Name. Amen and Amen!

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Spurgeon - What a shameful thing that was! Yet you will still find that there are many persons who, even though they believe the truth, dare not own it, but must hide in obscurity until the times grow easier. However, Christ’s death fetched out many who had been his disciples in secret. Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus could not keep in the background any longer and, doubtless, the thoughts of many other hearts were then revealed....I wonder whether in this throng there are any of this kind, who do believe in Christ, and yet never come out and confess him because they love the praise of men more than the praise of God. If so, I venture to say that they are found among what are called the more respectable people, the men of light and leading, the chief rulers. Among the common people there is very little of this evil. They will generally confess what they believe, and bravely come forward to declare that they belong to Christ. It is the chief rulers, the gentlemen of the Sanhedrin, who, if they believe in Christ in their hearts, do not confess him, lest they should be put out of society, for they love the praise of men more than the praise of God. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Our Desire for Praise Many believed in Him, but . . . they did not confess Him, . . . for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. —John 12:42-43 Today's Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Children enjoy being commended by parents, teachers, and others in authority. I saw this recently on the faces of boys and girls who were being publicly honored for their accomplishments in a youth program. Even adults like to receive the approval of people they respect. This built-in desire for praise is not wrong. Honest commendation can be very encouraging and can bring out the best in us. And the Bible tells us to look forward to the day when we will receive praise from God (1 Cor. 4:5). The problem, however, is that we often place more value on applause we receive from people in this life than on praise from God in the life to come. A teenage boy is on drugs today because he wanted to be accepted by a group of his peers he considered “cool.” Another young man admitted that he exaggerates about his relationship with girls because he thinks it makes him appear macho to the men with whom he works. Both of these fellows made the same mistake as those first-century believers who “loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:43). May everything we do By word or deed or story Be done to please the Lord— To Him be all the glory. —Roworth Living for God’s approval is better than living for man’s applause. Undercover Christians They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. — John 12:43 Today's Scripture: John 12:35-43 According to naturalists, butterflies of the Kallima family are able to pull off a unique disappearing act. Also known as “dead-leaf butterflies,” these insects have brilliant colors on the upper sides of their wings, but underneath they bear the lines and markings of a dead leaf and are noticeably drab. In flight, this butterfly produces a flash of color easily detected by friend and foe alike. But when it lands, the colors disappear and it is transformed into a “dead leaf.” It becomes almost invisible because the vein-like appearance of its wings includes markings that mimic holes and fungus. It even sways in the breeze like a leaf. Believers in Christ sometimes take on the appearance of the world to avoid detection. That’s what some religious leaders did in John 12. They believed in Jesus but didn’t make it known for fear of losing their position (v.42). We must be consistent, showing our colors for the Lord on all occasions, and not quickly blending into our surroundings when we feel threatened. Lord of my life, henceforth I bear The name of Christian everywhere; Therefore, O Christ, my spirit claim And make me worthy of Your Name. —Freeman Work harder at being what you should be than at hiding what you are. Crowd Pleasers They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. — John 12:43 Today's Scripture: John 12:35-43 I once read a newspaper story about an old carnival headliner nicknamed “Cannonball.” In his younger days, he was blasted out of a cannon 1,200 times, pulled a 90-pound weight across a table with his eyelids, and performed many other bizarre stunts. When asked why he did such things, he replied, “Do you know what it’s like to feel the applause of 60,000 people? That’s why I did it over and over.” In John 12 we learn about some leaders who were also motivated by a desire to please others. In their case, however, they refused to follow Jesus openly because they wanted to be accepted by the Pharisees. Although they had seen the Savior’s miracles and believed in Him, they wouldn’t acknowledge this publicly. “They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (v.43). And I believe we are safe in assuming that many people failed to turn to Jesus because they were also crowd pleasers who feared the disapproval of these “chief” crowd pleasers. If we, to gain the world's applause, Refuse to own the Savior's cause, What shame will fill us on that day When Thou Thy glory shall display! —Anon. Yielding to God's Spirit within prevents conforming to the world without. John 12:44 And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. BGT John 12:44 Ἰησοῦς δὲ ἔκραξεν καὶ εἶπεν· ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ πιστεύει εἰς ἐμὲ ἀλλὰ εἰς τὸν πέμψαντά με, KJV John 12:44 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. NET John 12:44 But Jesus shouted out, "The one who believes in me does not believe in me, but in the one who sent me, CSB John 12:44 Then Jesus cried out, "The one who believes in Me believes not in Me, but in Him who sent Me. ESV John 12:44 And Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. NIV John 12:44 Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. NLT John 12:44 Jesus shouted to the crowds, "If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. NRS John 12:44 Then Jesus cried aloud: "Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me. NJB John 12:44 Jesus declared publicly: Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in the one who sent me, NAB John 12:44 Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, YLT John 12:44 And Jesus cried and said, 'He who is believing in me, doth not believe in me, but in Him who sent me; MIT John 12:44 Jesus exclaimed, "The faith of one who believes in me does not terminate on me, but ultimately reaches the one who sent me. cried: Jn 7:28 11:43 Pr 1:20 8:1 Isa 55:1-3 He: Jn 13:20 Mt 10:40 Mk 9:37 1Pe 1:21 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: John 7:28+ Then Jesus cried out (krazo) in the temple, teaching and saying, “You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. Matthew 10:40+ “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. Mark 9:37+ “Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.” Luke 9:48+ and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.” Luke 10:16+ “The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.” LAST WORDS: THE CRY OF JESUS' HEART! Keep the context in mind - In John 12:36 had gone "away and hid Himself." So it seems that the discourse in Jn 12:44-50 was not spoken on this occasion but is John's addition summarizing Jesus' ministry. After this chapter until Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, the gospel of John will only deal with Jesus away from the public and alone with His disciples. So these are Jesus' last words to the public. Last words of any man are usually significant, especially if the one speaking is Jesus! Bob Deffinbaugh - In many ways, verses 44-50 sum up the message of the Gospel of John, and of our Lord. We find nothing new here, but a repetition of what has been said many times before. Chrysostom (In John 69.2). "In the first part of the gospel, which here closes, Jesus lives in complete obedience to the Father; in the second part he will die in the same obedience" Steven

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Spurgeon - Wonderful expression. Perhaps, we never fully realize it. Christ is seeable. God is not, but when we see the Christ, we do virtually see all of God that we may desire to see: the Invisible hath made himself visible in Christ — in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Clearly Jesus is affirming the earlier teaching when He declared that He and His Father are one (Jn 10:30+) ” In John 10:38, He said that they should “know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” In John 8:19, Jesus said “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.” All of these statements speak of the essential unity of the Father and the Son. Notice the phrase the One Who sent Me refers to the Father, and this statement alone is a clear refutation of the heretical teaching known as modalism, one modern form of which is known as "Oneness Pentecostalism. In oneness theology, which is anti-Trinitarian, there are no distinctions among the Persons of the Godhead. Jesus is God, but He is also the Father and the Spirit. In a slight deviation from ancient modalism, Oneness Pentecostals teach that God is able to manifest Himself in all three “modes” simultaneously, such as at Jesus’ baptism in Luke 3:22." Of course they have to propose simultaneous "modes" in an attempt to explain phrases like the One Who sent Me. How could Jesus send Himself? Oneness Pentecostalism is a potentially dangerous teaching (which NAMB considers a cult) and those who hold to these teachings for their eternal salvation need to compare their teachings with the Bible. Paul warned "if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully." (2Co 11:4) And "if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed." (Gal 1:8) Jesus Himself warned "Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS." (Mt 7:22-23) Here are some other resources (besides those from Gotquestions.org below) - Oneness Pentecostalism - Apologetics; Is Oneness Pentecostalism biblical?; Wikipedia says Oneness Pentecostalism holds a different belief on soteriology (how one is saved)! For an excellent discussion of the Trinity see Dr Wayne Grudem's chapter on the Trinity in Systematic Theology Steven

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Spurgeon - True faith in Christ sheds light on everything concerning which light is desirable. You shall understand things when you have come unto the right standpoint, when you have gotten to believe in Christ. I wonder not that those who doubt concerning him, doubt about everything; if they will not have this light, how shall they see? (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Steven Cole on those in darkness - They do not understand the things that the Spirit of God has revealed in God’s Word (1 Cor. 2:14). They are darkened in their understanding and excluded from the life of God (Eph. 4:18). This does not mean that unbelievers lack all wisdom about how to live or that they do not at times hold to some valid truths about God. Due to common grace (so that the world does not self-destruct!), God grants even to unbelievers some wisdom and some light. But any light that they may possess is hopelessly mixed up with spiritual and moral confusion. or example, unbelievers typically believe certain truths that they like, but reject other truths that are offensive to them, even though Scripture clearly teaches both truths. They will believe that God is love, because we all like that truth, but they reject that He is absolutely holy and righteous and that He will judge sinners, because they don’t like that....A 2009 Barna survey (Changes in Worldview Among Christians over the Past 13 Years) showed that only 46% of “born again” Christians believe in absolute moral truth! (Final Notice) Swindoll - Jesus is the personal representation, the literal embodiment, of all truth; therefore, to believe divine truth is not to accept a certain set of facts, but to believe in the person named Jesus C H Spurgeon - THIS world is dark as midnight; Jesus has come that by faith we may have light, and may no longer sit in the gloom which covers all the rest of mankind. Whosoever is a very wide term: it means you and me. If we trust in Jesus we shall no more sit in the dark shadow of death, but shall enter into the warm light of a day which shall never end. Why do we not come out into the light at once? A cloud may sometimes hover over us, but we shall not abide in darkness if we believe in Jesus. He has come to give us broad daylight. Shall he come in vain? If we have faith we have the privilege of sunlight: let us enjoy it. From the night of natural depravity, of ignorance, of doubt, of despair, of sin, of dread, Jesus has come to set us free; and all believers shall know that he no more comes in vain than the sun rises and fails to scatter his heat and light. Shake off thy depression, dear brother. Abide not in the dark, but abide in the light. In Jesus is thy hope, thy joy, thy heaven. Look to him, to him only, and thou shalt rejoice as the birds rejoice at sunrise, and as the angels rejoice before the throne. Chris Tiegreen - Light and Truth “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” John 12:46 “I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” —C. S. Lewis IN WORD We live in a dark kingdom (Colossians 1:13) (ED: BUT BELIEVERS HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE KINGDOM OF LIGHT AND CAN LIVE AS SONS OF LIGHT). The Bible is very clear and consistent about that. Our understanding was darkened (Ephesians 4:18); we are surrounded by powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:12); we ourselves have done deeds of darkness (Romans 13:12); our motives are dark (1 Corinthians 4:5); and even when we see God, we see Him very dimly (1 Corinthians 13:12). In fact, Paul goes so far as to say that we were darkness (Ephesians 5:8). This is insulting to the human ego, to say the least. We think we’re fairly well educated and wise. We even have an intellectual era we refer to as the Enlightenment. So when Jesus implies that He has come into the darkness, we might wonder where all this alleged darkness is. Aren’t we pretty bright folks? No, Jesus really is the only light this world has ever seen. We can’t find illumination anywhere else. He’s the One through whom God once said “Let there be light,” and there was light. We’re the ones who shrouded this planet in a sinful haze of spiritual blindness. He came back into it with all the radiance of a million suns. IN DEED Plato told an allegory of people in a cave who saw each other as shadows. They thought they could see clearly enough, because shadows were all they knew. Like Plato’s cave dwellers, we think we’re well-informed; and when we encounter light, we feel the pain of brightness in our maladapted eyes. We turn back to the darkness we’re so comfortable with. Do not dabble in the wisdom of the world. This world no longer has anything to offer you. Its interpretations of life are but shadows; its knowledge is untouched by the light of truth. Reject it. Do you really want understanding? Open your mind exclusively to Jesus and let Him shine. (See The One Year At His Feet Devotional) Nic At Nite I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. — John 12:46 Today's Scripture: John 3:1-21 According to the apostle John, Nicodemus “came to Jesus by night” (John 3:2). Was this Pharisee skulking under cover of darkness, embarrassed or ashamed that he, as one of the ruling class, was curious about Jesus? Some have suggested that it was just cooler at night. Others have said that evening was a better time to ask Jesus questions because it was quieter and there were fewer distractions. We really don’t know the reason Nicodemus went to Jesus at night, but John seemed determined to make a point of that specific fact. Every time he mentioned Nicodemus, he identified him by saying something like: “You know who I’m talking about—the guy who came to Jesus by night” (see 7:50; 19:39). Nicodemus, no doubt, was quite moral and lived according to Mosaic Law. People probably thought he was a pretty good person. Yet none of that mattered. He was in the dark about who Jesus really was, and he wanted to know the truth. So he was drawn from the darkness into the presence of “the light of the world” (John 8:12). Our search for truth is hindered by The darkness of the night, Until the Bright and Morning Star Reveals His brilliant light. —Sper Faith in Christ is not a leap into the dark; it’s a step into the Light. Rejected Light I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. — John 12:46 Today's Scripture: John 12:35-46 In the early hours of December 21, 2010, I witnessed an event that last occurred in 1638—a total lunar eclipse on the winter solstice. Slowly the shadow of the earth slipped across the bright full moon and made it appear a dark red. It was a remarkable and beautiful event. Yet it reminded me that while physical darkness is part of God’s created design, spiritual darkness is not. Scottish pastor Alexander MacLaren said: “Rejected light is the parent of the densest darkness, and the man who, having the light, does not trust it, piles around himself thick clouds of obscurity and gloom.” Jesus described this self-imposed spiritual eclipse of heart and mind when He said, “If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matt. 6:23). The great invitation of Christmas is to open our hearts to the Savior who came to end our darkness. Jesus said, “While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light. . . . I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness” (John 12:36,46). Come to the Light, ’tis shining for thee, Sweetly the Light has dawned upon me; Once I was blind, but now I can see— The Light of the world is Jesus. —Bliss When we walk in the Light, we won’t stumble in the darkness. It's Your Choice I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. — John 12:46 Today's Scripture: John 12:34-50 We make choices every day. Some people, though, insist that we are biological computers programmed by elements over which we have no control. The writer of a letter to the editor of a newspaper berated Christians for preaching their moral convictions to others, insisting that people can only “react to genetic and environmental factors.” He said that any preference, whether in “religion, favorite foods, colors, or friends” is not a choice but “just a brute fact.” Then he implored us to “give up the false promises of religion and take up the torch of human reason.” Did you catch that? He concluded by preaching his own convictions and asking readers to do the very thing that he had said people can’t do—make a choice. It’s true that genetic and environmental factors can make it difficult to make right choices. But God still holds us responsible for the freedom we possess. Those who deny such freedom don’t think anyone has the light of absolute truth. Jesus is calling, "Today you must choose!" If you delay, you surely will lose; Listening now, you can hear the Lord's voice, Take His salvation—a beautiful choice! —Hess Those who look for truth are in the dark if they reject the One who is the Light. Light in the Darkness I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. John 12:46 Today's Scripture & Insight: John 12:42-50 During a trip to Peru, I visited one of the many caves found throughout that mountainous country. Our guide told us that this particular cave had already been explored to a depth of 9 miles—and it went even deeper. We saw fascinating bats, nocturnal birds, and interesting rock formations. Before long, however, the darkness of the cave became unnerving—almost suffocating. I was greatly relieved when we returned to the surface and the light of day. That experience was a stark reminder of how oppressive darkness can be and how much we need light. We live in a world made dark by sin—a world that has turned against its Creator. And we need the Light. Jesus, who came to restore all of creation—including humanity—to its intended place referred to Himself as that “light” (John 8:12). “I have come as a light into the world,” He said, “that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness” (Jn 12:46). How have you seen God’s light displayed in our broken world? In what ways have you shared His light? Tell us your answers to these questions at www.odb.org. When we walk in the Light, we won’t stumble in the darkness. F B

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Spurgeon - Under this present dispensation, it is not the time of judgment. The Lord leaves you that are unbelievers to yourselves. He does not come as yet to judge you; there is a second coming, when he will be both judge and witness, and condemner, of those who have rejected him; but at present it is a dispensation of pure mercy. “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him.” There is a great God above who reckons this to be among the greatest of all human crimes, that they reject his Son. We speak of unbelief very lightly, and there are some who trifle with it as if it had no moral quality at all, but God doth not so. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) But (Actually not a contrast, but purpose = hina - in order) to save (sozo) the world (kosmos) - He did not come to judge but to save, but judgment is the other side of salvation. if the sinner will not trust the Saviour, the Saviour must become the Judge

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Spurgeon - Look, ye, to that, the gospel which you refuse will judge you at the last day. We know that the Lord Jesus Christ shall judge the world, saith Paul, “according to my gospel,” and he that sins against the gospel of love will certainly involve himself in the most solemn condemnation. He perishes that sins against the law, he dieth without mercy at the mouth of one or two witnesses. Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy that sins against love, and rejects the Saviour? (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) The word (logos) I spoke (laleo) is what will judge (krino) him at the last (eschatos) day - In other words, His (Jesus') words that one refuses to receive, accept and obey will condemn the one who rejects. Or stated another way, as stated above, their rejection brings judgment on themselves. "The sinner is actually passing judgment on himself, not on the Lord! " (Wiersbe) Note the last day is distinct from the prophetic phrase the last days. 🙏 THOUGHT- Let us not skim over that phrase "the last day." An end to the world as we know it is coming and it could be very soon. Dear skeptical unbeliever, are you ready to meet your Maker? Dear believer, have you redeemed the time of your life, the one opportunity to impact eternity? Have your been a faithful steward of your spiritual gift(s) and talents? Will you hear well done my good and faithful servant? Will you receive eternal rewards from the Judge (2Co 5:10+)? Are you living as if "the last day" is a day you can put off? Some of the most poignant words related to this topic are from Adoniram Judson who once wrote "A life once spent is irrevocable. It will remain to be contemplated through eternity… If it has been a useless life, it can never be improved. Such will stand forever and ever. The same may be said of each day. When it is once past, it is gone forever. All the marks which we put upon it, it will exhibit forever… Each day will not only be a witness of our conduct, but will affect our everlasting destiny (Note: Not in loss of salvation but of rewards - cp 1Co 3:11-15+, Jn 15:5, 2Co 5:10+, cp 1Ti 4:7, 8+). No day will lose its share of influence in determining where shall be our seat in heaven. How shall we then wish to see each day marked with usefulness! It will then be too late to mend its appearance. It is too late to mend the days that are past. The future is in our power. Let us, then, each morning, resolve to send the day into eternity in such a garb as we shall wish it to wear forever. And at night let us reflect that one more day is irrevocably gone, indelibly marked." (See page 33-34 of A memoir of the life and labors of the Rev. Adoniram Judson) In John 5:45 Jesus made a similar pronouncement declaring “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope." My word(s) - This phrase is spoken by Jesus 19x - look over some of them for it will help you understand why men will be judged by His words - Matt. 24:35; Mk. 8:38; Mk. 13:31; Lk. 6:47; Lk. 9:26; Lk. 21:33; Lk. 24:44; Jn. 5:24; Jn. 5:47; Jn. 8:31; Jn. 8:37; Jn. 8:43; Jn. 8:51; Jn. 8:52; Jn. 14:23; Jn. 14:24; Jn. 15:7; Jn. 15:20; Rev. 3:8 Brian Bell - Paper trail - I’m pretty forgetful. What has saved me a number of times is keeping emails conversations (i.e. a paper trail). 1. What are the significance of Jesus words? They will be the sole criterion at the day of judgment. Every one of His sentences, each of His words, were purely & simply the reflection of the Fathers mind! (Jn 12:44-50) The seriousness of rejecting Jesus is the subject here. 1. Why is it so serious to reject Jesus? To reject Jesus is to reject the Father. 2. To accept Jesus is to accept the Father, which leads to life everlasting. Warren

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Spurgeon - God at the back of Christ. Omnipotence supporting love. The expostulations of Christ, not left to our will to do as we like with them, but solemnly sanctioned by the royalties of God, so that to refute them is treason against the majesty of heaven. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John)

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Spurgeon applies this text - Christ did not pride himself upon being a great original thinker. He took his word from his Father’s mouth; and the preacher of the gospel is to be no inventor of new thoughts. The “thoughtful” man of whom we hear so much is just a man who is rebellious against God. The Lord’s true servant is to repeat God’s thoughts, not his own, to borrow from the Scriptures, to borrow from the teaching of the Holy Ghost, even as the Lord Jesus Christ did. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Swindoll - Everything Jesus does is necessarily the will of the Father because they are of the same essence (BORROW Insights on John) Holman Study Bible - Sent Me presupposes the Jewish idea of representation, according to which a messenger's identity is indistinct from that of the one who sent him John 12:50 "I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me." BGT John 12:50 καὶ οἶδα ὅτι ἡ ἐντολὴ αὐτοῦ ζωὴ αἰώνιός ἐστιν. ἃ οὖν ἐγὼ λαλῶ, καθὼς εἴρηκέν μοι ὁ πατήρ, οὕτως λαλῶ. KJV John 12:50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. NET John 12:50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. Thus the things I say, I say just as the Father has told me." CSB John 12:50 I know that His command is eternal life. So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me." ESV John 12:50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me." NIV 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." NLT John 12:50 And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say." NRS John 12:50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father has told me." NJB John 12:50 and I know that his commands mean eternal life. And therefore what the Father has told me is what I speak. NAB John 12:50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me." YLT John 12:50 and I have known that His command is life age-during; what, therefore, I speak, according as the Father hath said to me, so I speak.' MIT John 12:50 I know his command is infused with eternal life. Therefore, I make these statements; I present them in conformity with what my father has spoken to me." His: Jn 6:63,68 Jn 17:3 Jn 20:31 1Ti 1:16 1Jn 2:25 3:23,24 5:11-13,20 John 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries FATHER'S COMMANDMENT IS ETERNAL LIFE I know (eido) that His commandment (entole) is eternal (aionios) life (zoe); therefore the things I speak (laleo), I speak (laleo) just as the Father (pater) has told Me - I know (eido) means to know beyond a shadow of a doubt. The Father's commandment leads to eternal life or as the MIT (MacDonald Idiomatic Translation) version says "I know his command is infused with eternal life." As Jesus declared earlier "the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life." (Jn 6:63+) and Peter affirmed "You have the words of eternal life." (Jn 6:68+). Spurgeon - The eternal authority of God is at the back of the testimony of Christ. Oh! that men would not be so unwise as to reject it Now in our reading at the 41st verse we met with these words: “These things, said Esaias, when he saw his glory and spake of him.” Now let us read the passage which gives us an account of Isaiah’s seeing the glory of Christ. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) John writes "This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us." (1 John 3:23+) Spurgeon applies this text - If the great Head of the Church was thus only a messenger, the deliverer of a message from the Father, should not we, who at our best are such poor ministers of Christ, take heed to it that we also can say, “Even as the Father said unto me, so I speak”? God grant it! Amen. (Spurgeon's Exposition - Gospel of John) Steven