Gospel of John - "Lord, who has believed..."

        

“Lord, who has believed...”

John 12:37-50

Jesus knows the time of his death is nearing, and he has done everything the Father has commanded and said. All that is left is for the people to believe. Let’s begin with the first part of our text, “Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.”  Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.”

Jesus has spent three years teaching, preaching,  healing, comforting, freeing the oppressed and possessed, and training his disciples. Yet many wouldn’t truly believe in him or God the Father’s message. They were busy serving God through their pious and righteous acts, and their hubris knowledge of God’s laws and the oral laws, or indulging the fleshly nature. They wouldn’t believe that God the Father sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, even after many signs, wonders, and the confirmation of the prophecies by the prophets on the coming Messiah. Even Isaiah after hearing this message he was to speak to the people of Israel asked, “For how long, Lord?” Isa. 6:11. 

God replied until all is laid waste by God and the holy seed is the only stump left. Isa. 6:11-13

Jesus used the prophet’s words to reveal the reason for the unbelief of the religious and irreligious. They were blinded by the god of this age, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Cor. 4:4) 

The jewish people had seen the arm of the Lord revealed to them, in the sign and wonders of the miracles, and through the teaching of the Word of God with authority, and with clarity. They were without understanding because their hearts and minds were darkened and hardened. Isaiah understood the unrighteous state of man because he had just been in the holiest place of heaven, and he said, “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” For Isaiah had just seen Jesus. He felt condemned in the presence of pure holiness. It was God who saved him by giving him the righteousness of heaven from the altar before God, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” And now his sins and guilt were atoned for and his  heart and eyes were cleansed and opened by God.

Application - In our world today, the god of this age stands condemned, yet the darkness that has scaled the eyes of unbelievers is still in place. It is the lies and unbelief in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Word of God that keep them blinded to the truth in the gospel. Romans 1 tells that there will be no excuses for mankind,  “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith… since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:17,19-20) 

Jesus knows the minds and hearts of all mankind, and He is the Light to the world through his written word, the Holy Bible. To all who believe, his Word is “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps. 119:105)  Jesus is still doing the works of God through his Holy Spirit filled body, the church and his creations still shouts of his eternal power and divine nature. He desires to heal the lives and lands of all who will humble themselves and believe in Him, and like Paul, the scales will fall off. 

We who believe are to be the agents of the message of the gospel and the arm of the Lord to reveal the hope we have in Christ Jesus through faith. So who has believed God’s message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? So which one are you?

Next, Jesus knew the minds and hearts of all. Let’s look at the next portion of our text, “Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human praise more than praise from God. Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.  The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.“ 

Jesus had taught his disciples earlier after they had returned from being sent out, that the cost of discipleship meant standing firm in denying the desires of the world and standing firm in not denying Jesus before the world, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?  Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Luke 9:23-26

There were leaders in the synagogues and among the jews that believed that Jesus was the Son of God, but they were afraid to be identified as a believer in front of the rulers among the Pharisees. They didn’t want to be expelled or austersized from among the jewish religious community. They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Jesus was adamant about believing in God the Father and the One he sent and there was a cost. For this was a major problem among the jewish religious community.  For in order to believe in the Son, you must believe in the Father who sent him, for they were one. Jesus stood firm and unashamed. As Jesus said, “The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.“ 

Application - Shame has kept many hidden from the freedom in Christ. Jesus came into the world to save the lost humanity from the shame of sins and not standing firm in faith. Like the religious leader, many don’t want to upset the status quo. They want the world and its praise and the praise of God as well. Jesus stated “They loved human praise more than praise from God…For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?” The praise of God is what we should desire to hear, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matt. 25:21)

Many who were healed, and set free from the blindness of sin and unbelief were not ashamed to stand with their testimony of the power of God to save and heal. This God will praise. (Rev. 12:11-12)

Jesus gave us a command, “Go and make disciples” and Peter admonished the church, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” 1 Pet. 3:15

We shouldn’t be ashamed to be like Christ and to live holy lives, separated to Christ as his bride, the church.

Last, Jesus again reiterates his purpose for coming into the world. Let's look at the rest of the text, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.  There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.  For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

Jesus stated again no one needed to stay in the darkness of sin and the godlessness of the world. He came as a light, the Light to the world (Jn. 8:12). He didn’t come to judge the world but to save all who would believe in him and the One who sent him (Jn. 3:17). The judge at the end of time will be the very Word of God, the Holy Bible to judge all mankind. It will condemn them because they had heard the words yet didn’t do as they said. Jesus stated again that all that he has spoken and done were given and commanded by God the Father. For God created all creation through the Word, and eternal life will come from believing and doing what the Word of God says. 

Application -  For those who have been set free, they stand in the light unashamed because their sins have been atoned for and remembered against them no longer. They willingly share the hope they have in the Gospel. Like Paul they say, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Rom. 1:16-18

But there are those who closet themselves in their faith, and when confessing Christ to others, they put a basket over their light. Like those in Jesus’ day, they don’t want to be austersized by the world. They prefer to hide their light than to let it shine before mankind because the light shows up that which they are ashamed of, “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed… If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (Jn. 3:20, 1 Jn. 1:5-7)

Let us say like John the apostle, “We saw it, we heard it, and now we’re telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy! This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light; there’s not a trace of darkness in him. 1 Jn.1:3-5 MSG

I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation (JD Farag). Please, Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

I am developing a new webpage on Spiritual warfare. Please give it a look. I’m adding answers each week to questions that pertain to our time today.  Thank you

http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com