Read John 12:27-50.

Introduction⤒🔗

There was once a young man, a lawyer by profession, who was converted to Christ. Following his conversion, with his newfound peace with God and joy in the LORD, he witnessed to everyone with whom he came into contact. But in particular, he witnessed to and prayed for one close acquaintance: a man who was a local magistrate and had been elected to the New York state legislature. This man was deeply convicted of sin.

The young Christian was praying for him daily and urging him to give his heart to Christ. The man’s conviction became very deep; but still, from day to day, he put off the necessary submission to Christ and did not obtain the hope of salvation.

“My concern for him increased,” reported the young Christian.

One afternoon, several of his political acquaintances had a lengthy interview with this man concerning a political deal they desired him to secure for them at the state capitol in Albany. The next morning, when the young Christian encountered this friend for whom he was so greatly concerned, the man declared,

I shall have nothing more to do with the question of submission unto God until I return from the legislature. I stand committed to my political friends to carry out certain measures in the legislature that are incompatible with my first becoming a Christian and I have promised that I will not attend to the subject of becoming a Christian until after I have returned from Albany.

What happened on that previous night, and what happened upon the man’s return from Albany, is the rest of the story. But for now, suffice it to say that that man, by refusing to respond to the Word of God, did a very dangerous and deadly thing. He knew that he had to submit to Christ; but instead of doing so, he postponed that decision and persisted in his sins. We find a similar situation in John 12:35-50.

We must be aware of the danger in being exposed to the Word of God, especially on a continuous basis, but not responding to that Word with faith and obedience. Because of the danger in hearing God’s Word, but not responding to it in a positive way, Jesus urges us to believe without delay.

Believe Without Delay, While You Have the Opportunity to Do So←⤒🔗

In the passage before us, the Lord Jesus urges His hearers to exercise faith in Him: accepting His Word and acting upon it, because their opportunity to do so is rapidly running out. In verse thirty-five, Jesus presents a mini-parable with the object being to impress upon His hearers the need to exercise faith in Him without delay:

Jesus said to them, 'The light is with you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before the darkness descends upon you; he that walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.'

The sun is setting; therefore, do not linger along the roadside. Use the remaining sunlight left in the day to find your way home. Do not allow the darkness to descend upon you while you are still on the road. If you allow that to happen, you will never find your way home and you will be lost forever.

By means of this parable the Lord Jesus is urging men to believe in Him: to accept His Word and act upon it, while they still have the opportunity. Oftentimes we assume that we have allotted to us a life span of 70-80 years; but such is not necessarily the case:

Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' ¹⁴Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the LORD’s will, we will live and do this or that.' Jas. 4:13-15

We are tempted to protest: I shall commit my life to Christ at a later date, at present I am a child enjoying my childhood, or a teenager getting my education, or a young man establishing my family and career, or a man in the prime of life, making my fortune, or newly retired, enjoying these leisure years. But we may not have the luxury of having a later date at which time we may respond to Christ. We must be ready should God speak to us the words recorded in Luke 12:20b, “This very night your life will be demanded from you.”

Oftentimes we assume that the opportunity to respond to Christ and His Word will always be available; but such is not necessarily the case. Note that following what would prove to be Jesus’ last public invitation, we read that Jesus “hid himself from them” (vs. 36b). Through the prophet Isaiah, the warning is given:

Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near. ⁷Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.Isa. 55:6-7

It is the LORD who graciously and sovereignly extends the call to believe, and it is the LORD who has the divine prerogative to withdraw that invitation at His own discretion. By way of illustration, an offer made on T.V. or in a magazine is oftentimes accompanied by the urgent appeal: “Act now without delay, this offer is subject to withdrawal without further notice.” The same may also apply to the divine call to come to Christ and believe in Him.

Furthermore, by means of His comments in verse thirty-six, Jesus indicates that greater spiritual understanding follows faith, it does not precede it: “While you have the light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of light.” To become a “son of the light” means to become a member or partaker of the light, to become a part of the light. Jesus is saying, “You see the light of God in Me, do not wait until you have the fullness of the light before you believe; on the contrary, it is by believing that you will enter into the light and grow in your knowledge of the light of God.” On a previous occasion, “Jesus...said to those Jews who had believed him, ‘If you remain in my word you will truly be my disciples; ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free''' (Jn. 8:31-32).

By way of illustration, we may picture the Lord Jesus as standing on one side of a deep precipice and ourselves as standing on the other side; over the precipice He has constructed a bridge, and He now urges us to cross over to Him. But there is the protest: Can the bridge hold my weight? To assure us, the LORD sends a 300-pound angel across the bridge. But we’re not satisfied; we want more proof, more assurance. So, the LORD now sends a divine “bridge inspector” from heaven who inspects the structure and assures us of its safety. But we demand still further proof, we want to be assured of the inspector’s credentials, then we want to know how much experience he has had in this line of work. We want to be absolutely sure before committing ourselves to Christ.

Sometimes this desire for “absolute” assurance arises out of fear, we are afraid to relinquish our life unto Christ; but note Jesus’ instruction to Martha at the tomb of her brother Lazarus, “Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"” (Jn. 11:40) Peter and the other disciples took Jesus at His word and believed; what was the result? On behalf of all of them, Peter testified, “we have believed and know that you are the Holy One of God” (Jn. 6:69).

Sometimes this desire for “absolute” assurance is merely a means of concealing a defiant will that has no intention of submitting unto Christ and is looking for an excuse not to do so. As a Christian writer expresses it:

When the imperfect news media warn of some impending danger: a national attack, tornado, fire, loose killer, or bomb scare, people spring into action. But when the Bible comes with news of the greatest impending danger of all, and tells of a Rescuer who came and died and rose again as Lord, they choose not to react or even investigate its claims. All because of “errors” they cannot prove. This double standard needs challenging. Here is a question a person should ask himself: What really prevents me from accepting Christ as my Savior and Master? Do I really have a reason I can point to, that if answered would open the door to my believing?¹

Jesus replies to our continuing demands for more proof and greater assurance as a condition for us to believe, by declaring, “I have furnished you with adequate proof (note John 20:30-31). You must take the step of faith, and in so doing you will find My ‘bridge’ to be wholly able to support you and bring you to safety.”

Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples that are not recorded in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and by believing you may have life in his name. Jn. 20:19-31

May we follow the example of the hymn writer, Charlotte Elliott, in responding to Christ:

Just as I am, though tossed
about With many a conflict, many
a doubt, Fightings and fears,
within, without, O Lamb of God, I
come, I come.

Jesus urges us to believe without delay, while we have the opportunity, assuring us that fuller understanding and knowledge follow faith.

Believe Without Delay, because of the Danger in Hearing Without Responding←⤒🔗

John speaks of a persistent unbelief: they were not believing (vs. 37b), in the face of overwhelming evidence: Jesus had done so many signs in their presence (vs. 37a). John goes on to inform us that this persistent, inexcusable unbelief served the purpose of fulfilling the O.T. prophecy of Isaiah 53:1.

When it comes to the LORD’s condescension to interact with man on a human level, the principle He has ordained to govern that interaction is that the exercise of faith is the prerequisite for acquiring spiritual knowledge, with the certain result that such knowledge shall be obtained thereby.

The Lord Jesus had articulated that the divinely-ordained principle: “While you have the light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of light” (Jn. 12:36a). Peter testifies to the results when this principle is observed: “Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹We have believed and know that you are the Holy One of God” (Jn. 6:68-69) But in the case of the Jews, the pattern of faith resulting in knowledge was not observed; their constant demand, (despite the evidence presented to them by Christ), was “What sign will you perform then, that we may see it and believe you? What work will you do?” (Jn. 6:30) Consequently, Isaiah would prophesy of them, “Who has believed our report? [no faith] And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” [no enlightenment]

By alluding to the Isa. 53 prophecy, John is asserting that the nation’s negative response to the Messiah was not an unexpected, unanticipated occurrence. To the contrary, it was the very same negative response the nation had made to the LORD in Isaiah’s day. In consequence of which, the LORD had commissioned the prophet to pronounce upon the nation the divine judgment of judicial hardening:

He said, “Go and tell this people, ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand. Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ ¹⁰Cause the heart of this people to become callous. Cause their ears to become closed, and shut their eyes; so that they may not see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return to me and be healed.” (Isa. 6:9-10), the very passage John now proceeds to quote in vs. 39-40.

John explains that it was revealed to Isaiah that the persistent resistance to and rejection of the LORD that was characteristic of the nation in Isaiah’s day would also characterize the nation’s response to the Messiah. Such would prove to be the case because the LORD Israel rejected in Isaiah’s day is the very same LORD who now stood before them in incarnate form as Jesus the Messiah (Jn. 12:41). Consequently, the judgment that was pronounced upon the nation in Isaiah’s day for their persistent, inexcusable unbelief, is now pronounced upon the nation in the Messiah’s day.

What is presented to us in Isa. 6:9-10 is the very mysterious and sobering phenomenon we may define as divine judicial hardening; it is a form of judgment enacted by God against men who hear His Word but who persistently refuse to respond to it.

Isaiah is instructed by the LORD, “Cause the heart of this people to become callous. Cause their ears to become closed, and shut their eyes.” Isaiah’s continual preaching of the Word of God would have the effect of making the people insensitive and unresponsive by virtue of the repetition of the message. By way of illustration: When you first move to the city you are kept awake at night by the sound of sirens. But after repeated exposure to those sirens, you learn to ignore them and block them out; consequently, you become able to sleep right through the noise. Likewise, the continuous preaching of the Word of God would have the same effect upon these spiritually unresponsive people who had made it a habit of ignoring and resisting the word of God.

Isaiah is then told of the purpose and result of his preaching: “so that they may not see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return to me and be healed.” Isaiah’s ministry was to be a ministry of judgment, a ministry that would produce a judicial hardening of the hearts of these people.

Ironically, the very message of salvation would become to them an instrument of judgment: How else could they be saved except by the preaching of the Word of God? Yet, the continuous exposure to that Word, without the response of faith and obedience on their part, would cause the people to become callous to that life-giving Word.

As a further illustration of this phenomenon, consider the case of a man called to serve as a missionary to Korea after having previously served in Korea in the armed forces: While serving in the army on the peninsula of South Korea, this Christian man was continually exposed to the Korean language, but he made no effort to learn that language, rather, he ignored it. Consequently, he developed a “callousness” to that language that prevented him from effectively learning it when he returned to Korea some years later as a missionary.

The message of Isaiah, which had an awful bearing upon the people of Jesus’ day, and which we must soberly consider for our own spiritual welfare, is this: When a people have the privilege of hearing the Word of God, but refuse to respond to that Word in faith and obedience, then the continued exposure to that Word eventually has the reverse effect upon them; it causes them to become spiritually numb, insensitive, and unresponsive to it. They become spiritually “callous” to the life-giving Word of God. It is a judicial judgment of God upon an unresponsive people, which in a sense is self-imposed by their own neglect, and eventually divinely-imposed, because of their neglect of the saving message.

Today, Jesus urges us to believe: to respond to His Word with faith and obedience, because of the great danger involved in hearing the Word of God without making a positive response to it. Today, Jesus may be saying to you, “Give Me your heart;” or, “Break off an unhealthy relationship, the kind that leads you away from Me and leads you into sin;” or, “Give up an unwholesome ambition, the kind that puts money, or power, or prestige, or supposed security, ahead of your commitment to Me.” As we contemplate our response to His divine call, let us take to heart the counsel of the Book of Hebrews: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Heb. 3:15).

Believe Without Delay, because Jesus Speaks the Very Word of God←⤒🔗

Jesus assures us that He does not speak on His own initiative; on the contrary, He speaks the very Word of God. God the Father has told Him what to say, and exactly how to say it: “I did not speak of my own accord; on the contrary, the Father who sent me, he has commanded me what to say and how to speak” (Jn. 12:49).

Jesus, because He is the Son of God, is the Great and Final Prophet from God, as the Book of Hebrews declares, “In the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ²but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Heb. 1:1). While the disciples were with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration, “a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"” (Matt. 17:5)

Jesus testifies that He is fully assured that the message He brings from His Father is the message of life: “And I know that his commandment is eternal life” (vs. 50a). That is why He is so careful to faithfully communicate that message and not deviate from it: “Therefore, what I say is just what the Father has spoken to me” (vs. 50b). The message the Father has given the Son reveals to us the life of God and invites us to enter into that life through faith in the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us consider well the testimony of the Apostle Peter: “Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹We have believed and know that you are the Holy One of God"” (Jn. 6:68-69). Note that the “knowing” is the consequence of the “believing,” although the evidence that invites faith is not lacking; note, again, John 20:30-31,

Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples that are not recorded in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and by believing you may have life in his name.

Conclusion←⤒🔗

What became of that New York legislator who knew that he had to submit to the Word of God, but instead of immediately doing so, he postponed that decision and persisted in his sin? What happened on the night before he left for Albany? What happened when he returned?

Here is the rest of the story. The young Christian lawyer writes:

On the evening of the same day, [the day the man informed the young Christian that he would not consider the question of submitting unto Christ until he had returned from Albany], I attempted to carry his case to God, as the urgency in my mind for his conversion had become very great. In my prayer I had drawn very near to God. I do not remember ever having been in more intimate communion with the Lord Jesus Christ than I was at that time. Indeed, his presence was so real that I was bathed in tears of joy and gratitude and love, and in this state of mind I attempted to pray for this friend.

But the moment I did so, my mouth was shut. I found it impossible to pray a word for him. The LORD seemed to say to me, “No. I will not hear.” As anguish seized upon me, I thought at first it was a temptation. But the door was shut in my face. It seemed as if the LORD said to me, “Speak no more to me of that matter.” It pained me beyond expression. I did not know what to make of it.

From that moment on, I had no spirit of prayer for him at all. As soon as he told me what he had done upon his return from Albany, I understood it. I could see that his convictions were all gone and that the Spirit of God had left him. From that time he grew more careless and hardened than ever.

He remained in his sins, finally fell into decay, and died at last, as I have been told, a dilapidated man.²

Let us be sure to pay attention to the Scripture that exhorts us, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Heb. 3:15).

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. How does the crowd respond to Jesus’ testimony that He, the Son of man, must be “lifted up” (i.e. crucified)? See Jn. 12:34. The crowd rightly identifies the Christ (i.e. the Messiah) with the Son of man; but how does the O.T. Scriptures portray the Son of man? See Dan. 7:13-14. Like the crowd, do we focus on Jesus in His capacity as the Son of man (in His glory) and ignore the fact that it was only by fulfilling His role as the Servant of the LORD (in His humility) that the Father bestowed upon Him the honor promised to the Son of man? Do we appreciate the fact that Christ calls us to follow Him along this same pathway to glory? Note Jn. 12:25-26a,

Then the crowd responded, We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say, The Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man? Jn. 12:34

The crowd understands that “lifting up” is a reference to be crucified.

¹³In the vision [I received] at night I looked and there before me came one on the clouds of heaven who was like a son of man. He approached the Ancient of Days and he was brought into his presence. ¹⁴He was given authority and glory and a kingdom, so that all the peoples, nations, and [men of every] language should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that shall not be destroyed. Dan. 7:13-14

He who loves his life shall lose it; but he who hates his life in this world shall preserve it for eternal life. ²⁶If any man would serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant also be. If any man serves me, the Father will honor him. Jn. 12:25-26

2. How does Jesus respond to the crowd’s perplexity? See Jn. 12:35-36 When did things become clear for the disciples? See Jn. 12:16a. Jesus’ glorification began with His resurrection; at that time what did He reveal? See Lk. 24:25-27. Do you appreciate the fact that the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah, is the key to understanding the O.T. Scriptures?

Jesus said to them, The light is with you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before the darkness descends upon you; he that walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. ³⁶While you have the light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of light. When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them. Jn. 12:35-36

Rather than offering them an explanation, Jesus urges them to accept Him on the basis of what He has already revealed about Himself, promising that enlightenment will follow (cf. Jn. 12:36a).

At first, his disciples did not understand all this. But after Jesus was glorified, they remembered that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him. Jn. 12:16

Then he said to them, 'O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory?' ²⁷Then, beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, he expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.Lk. 24:25-27

3. In His parable, what does Jesus warn will happen to those who do not respond in faith to the Light as He presently stands before them (cf. Jn. 12:35b)? What does He promise to those who do respond to Him with faith (cf. Jn. 12:36a)? How are you responding to Jesus Christ, the Light of the world?

Jesus said to them, The light is with you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before the darkness descends upon you; he that walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. ³⁶While you have the light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of light. When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.Jn. 12:35-36

To become “a son of light” means to partake of the Light: to gain a personal relationship with Christ and to enter into His life.

4. Did Jesus, as the Light, provide sufficient evidence to support His claims and elicit faith in Himself (cf. Jn. 12:37a); nevertheless, what was their response to Him (cf. Jn. 12:37b)? Do you respond in faith to the testimony provided by the LORD in the Scriptures? See Jn. 20:30-31. If not, why not? What does the Lord Jesus exhort us to do and of what does He assure us? See again Jn. 12:36. What is the Apostle Peter’s testimony? Jn. 6:68-69,

Even though he had done so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him...Jn. 12:37

Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples that are not recorded in this book. ³¹But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and by believing you may have life in his name. Jn. 20:30-31

While you have the light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of light... Jn. 12:36a

Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹We have believed and know that you are the Holy One of God. Jn. 6:68-69

5. As Jesus anticipated the cross, what did He call men to do? See Jn. 12:25-26a; note, also, Matt. 16:24-25. How do we comply with Christ’s command; what is the result of placing our faith in Him? See Gal. 2:20. What results from this union with Christ in His death, and subsequently, union with Him in His resurrection life? See 2 Cor. 5:17,

He who loves his life shall lose it; but he who hates his life in this world shall preserve it for eternal life. ²⁶If any man would serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant also be. If any man serves me, the Father will honor him. Jn. 12:25-26

²⁴Then Jesus said to his disciples, If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me; ²⁵for whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.Matt. 16:24-25

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ living in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.Gal. 2:20

...if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Cor. 5:17