APRIL 15, 2018
THE DANGER OF DESPISING PRESENT PRIVILEGE
INTRODUCTION:
1. Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem was most remarkable and significant for a number of reasons.
a) Zechariah’s prophecy was fulfilled as the people shouted and rejoiced as their King entered riding upon the foal of an ass. (Verses 12-15; Zech. 9:9)
b) The Pharisees, however, were not rejoicing, seeing this enormous throng of cheering worshippers as an indication that their efforts against Christ had come to nothing. (Verse 19)
c) Then a signal event occurred when certain Greeks came inquiring after Jesus. (Verses 20-22)
d) This inquiry was key to the amazing words here spoken by our Lord. (Verses 23-26)
(1) These Gentile seekers signaled to Jesus that the “hour” of which He had often spoken had now come.
(2) The time had come when He would die for the people, both Jews, and Gentiles, not for one nation only, but for the world. (Ch. 11:50, 51)
(3) The time had come in which He must bear the awful load of the sins of the world. (Isa. 53:6)
e) Contemplating this awful imputation, Jesus said, “Now is my soul troubled.” (Verse 27a)
2. Jesus declared plainly the purpose for which He came up to the feast and for which He made this very public entrance into the city. (Verses 31-33)
a) He would now judge the prince of darkness through His death on the cross. (Verse 31; Gen. 3:15)
b) He would by being “lifted up,” i.e. by dying on the cross, deliver His people form Satan’s power, and draw them to Himself. (Verse 32)
c) John explains that when Jesus spoke of being “lifted up” He was “signifying what death He should die,” i.e. crucifixion.
3. This declaration will bring about the next round of criticism from the Scribes and Pharisees.
I. THE EXCEPTION THE PEOPLE TOOK AGAINST WHAT OUR LORD SAID, AND HIS SOLEMN RESPONSE. (VERSES 34-36)
A. THEY PRETENDED TO BE UNABLE TO RECONCILE JESUS’ TALK OF BEING “LIFTED UP” WITH THE PROPHECIES ABOUT A NEVER-DYING MESSIAH. (VERSE 34)
1. This verse supplies a remarkable instance of the perverse hardness and blindness of the Jews in Jesus’ time.
a) They understood that when our Lord referred to Himself as the Son of Man that He was claiming to be the Messiah of whom the prophets had all spoken. “We have heard out of the Law that Christ abideth for ever.”
b) They failed to recognize, however, that the eternal son of God became the Son of Man in order to become the suffering Messiah. This was also foretold in the Law. By Law is meant the whole of the Old Testament Scriptures.
c) Let us note that half knowledge of Scripture, along with selectiveness, suppression, and misapplication, accounts for a large portion of mistaken religious beliefs and doctrines.
2. Note the contempt that they intended, when they asked, “Who is THIS Son of man?” The demonstrative pronoun here is very emphatic.
a) “We have heard about a Son of man who is eternal, but who is THIS Son of man?”
b) They may have been thinking of Daniel 7:13, 14 where Messiah is called “The Son of man,” whose “kingdom shall not be destroyed.” But, they seem not to have considered Daniel 9:26: “…and after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off.”
3. Notice, Jesus said, “and I, if I be lifted up…” The Jews responded, “How sayest thou the Son of man must be lifted up.” The only record of Jesus saying “The Son of man must be lifted up” is in His conversation with Nicodemus in John 3:14. We must suppose, then, that either the Jews were referring to that statement, or what is more likely, that the expression was frequently on our Lord’s lips.
B. JESUS’ SOLEMN RESPONSE TO THE JEWS’ EXCEPTION AND CONTEMPTUOUS REMARKS. (VERSES 35, 36)
1. Our Lord makes no direct answer to their question. He only warns them in a very solemn manner of the grave danger they were in of letting their day of grace slip away.
2. He draws a figure from the light of day and the importance of walking and journeying while we have light.
3. He used a similar analogy in Ch. 11:9, 10 to show how we must pursue our life’s purpose while we have our life, but here, by “the light,” He evidently means Himself. “I, the Light of the world, am only going to be with you a very short while longer.” (Compare Jer. 13:15, 16)
4. Instead of answering these fools according to their folly, He gives them a serious caution to take heed not to trifle away their day of opportunity.
a) See here the loving concern He has for the souls of men, even those who are contriving against Him?
b) See here the solemn warning given to make the best of privilege while we enjoy it?
c) We must understand that unbelievers are walking in darkness, but by coming to Christ, Who is the Light, we shall no longer walk in darkness; we shall be Children of Light.
d) We must come to Him without delay, lest He depart from us, and hide Himself. (Verse 36b)
5. How sad, that those to whom He spoke these words became the more hardened in their unbelief and continued in their darkness, “for they loved darkness, rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19) As for this people as a whole, John records their sad rejection of the Light early in this Gospel. (John 1:9-11)
II. THE SINGULAR HARDNESS OF THE JERUSALEM JEWS WAS PREDICTED BY THE PROPHET ISAIAH. (VERSES 37-41)
A. THEY WOULD NOT BELIEVE ON CHRIST IN SPITE OF HIS MANY MIRACLES THAT THEY HAD WITNESSED. (VERSE 37)
1. The expression, “so many miracles” seems to indicate that the miracles recorded by John are only a small fraction of the miracles that our Lord performed in and around Jerusalem. Besides the purifying to the temple, John records only three. (Chapters 5, 9, 11) Yet here and Ch. 2:23 John expressly speaks of miracles; and the Pharisees remarked “This man doeth many miracles.” (Ch. 11:47)
2. “Yet they believed not on him.” Where there is the greatest quantity of the form of religion, there will be the greatest proportion of formality and unbelief. The places where men become the most familiar with ceremonies are the places where hearts seem to become the most hard.
3. Let us be again reminded of the truth that “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom.10:17) “If they will not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.” (Luke 16:31)
B. NOTICE HOW THIS HARDNESS AND UNBELIEF WAS IN FULFILLMENT OF THE SCRIPTURES. (VERSES 38-41)
1. By their unbelief, the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled. (Verse 38; Isa. 53:1; see also Rom. 10:16) However, as Ryle notes, “it was not because Isaiah spoke that they believed not, but because they were not about to believe that he spake.” The prophet’s prediction was not the cause of their unbelief.
2. That said, John went on to say, “Therefore they could not believe.” This too was predicted by the prophet, Isaiah. (Verses 39, 40; Isa. 6:9; see also Acts 28:26, 27; Matt. 13:14; Rom. 11:8)
a) We before noted that they would not believe. Now, we see that they could not believe. Though the latter is a judicial act of God, it is because of the former that He so acted. They brought this inability upon themselves.
b) We may liken this to the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. While on the one hand we read that Pharaoh hardened his heart; on the other hand, we read that it was God who hardened Pharaoh’s heart. (See Exo. 9:12, 16, 34, 35; Rom. 9:17, 18) Again, it was through Pharaoh’s wicked rebellion that his heart was hardened.
c) Persistent unbelief is very dangerous, for it tends to harden the heart.
3. This is a very solemn subject, and seems at first glance to make God the author of man’s destruction. But, we must realize that God is sovereign in punishing. Some He may cut off suddenly the moment they sin. Other’s He may give over to judicial blindness, and cease to strive with their consciences. But those whom He is said to harden and blind will always be found to be persons whom He had previously warned, exhorted, and summoned to repent.
4. John cites not only the location of this prophecy, but gives the occasion upon which it was uttered. (Verse 41) In Isaiah we see a magnificent description of the Lord’s glory, before which the seraphim veiled their faces, crying “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.” Surely the thrice holy God is “righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works.” (Psa. 145:17)
III. THE AMAZING POWER THAT THE LOVE OF THE WORLD HAS OVER MEN IS HERE SEEN. (VERSES 42, 43)
A. SOME OF THE JEWS WHO WERE PRESENT WERE NOT SO HARDENED IN THEIR UNBELIEF AS OTHERS. (VERSE 42)
1. Many, even of the chief rulers at Jerusalem, believed that Jesus was the Christ; however, they kept their beliefs to themselves.
2. Their faith was not such as would confess Christ before men, and especially before powerful men who were unbelievers. (See Matt. 10:32, 33)
3. See here in these, examples of some who are convinced of the truth of the Gospel, and who know their need of Christ but are
a) either too cowardly to confess Christ, or
b) fancy that they can somehow be a “secret disciple.”
B. THESE JEWS, IN FACT, COUNTED THE FAVOR AND PRAISE OF MEN MORE DESIREABLE THAN THE FAVOR AND BLESSING OF GOD. (VERSE 43)
1. They weighed the praise of men against the favor of God, and gave the preference to the praise of men.
2. This preference has been a snare to many millions who have lost their souls for sake of worldly acceptance, praise, success, power, etc.
3. To countless others, like these in the text, it is the fear of man that has been their snare, and they can’t get free from it. (Prov. 29:25)
4. Then, many a young person has preferred popularity to the cross of Christ!
5. How many an aspiring man or woman has sold his or her soul for fortune, fame, or success.
6. Let us pray for grace and wisdom to say, “Take the world, but give me Jesus;” to heed His words, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
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