The Gospel of John: The Greeks and Jesus’ final appeal 12: 20 – 50

 In the first half we looked at Jesus in Bethany and his entrance into Jerusalem. In this lesson we look at Jesus’ talking about his death after he is approached by the Greeks (v. 20 – 36) and then an explanation as to why the Jews) do not believe and Jesus’ final appeal to them (37 – 50)

When in v. 19 the Pharisees say, ‘Look, the world has gone after him’, we then have v.2- as a confirmation of this. Some Greeks want to see Jesus. . It is not just the Jews who follow Jesus, there are Gentiles – Greeks – who are drawn to Him. This is not just a Jewish event, this is for the whole world.

 One scholar has explained that by using grammar in a certain way, the writer has emphasized almost every sentence in this text. He has also put into this short passage many of the key words of the Gospel, words like love, truth, glory, life, remain, hour…It is like he has highlighted this text it on his lap top and hit the bold button.

 It’s an important passage. The Greeks are non-Jews, Gentiles from the Greek speaking world, and they have come to Jerusalem to worship. These people were known as ‘God fearers’ Gentiles who were supportive to the Jewish faith. People like the centurion in Luke 7 who built the synagogue in Capernaum, or Cornelius in Acts 10. And Paul acknowledges that we have this group in Acts 13 when he addresses the crowd in the temple. He says, ‘Brothers, sons of Abraham…’, that is the Jews. And then he says ‘and those among you who fear God.’ That’s the Gentiles, the Greeks, who were allowed into the court of Gentiles in the temple.

 

These Greeks were not necessarily from Greece. They were just Greek speaking Gentiles. It has been suggested that they could have come from the Greek cities in the Decapolis where Jesus had visited – remember the story about the pigs going into the sea. Anyway, they approach one of Jesus’ disciples who has a Greek name, Philip. Philip is from Bethsaida which is near the Decapolis, a town full of Greek speakers. It is possible they approached Philip because they saw his Greek was good. We don’t know how Jesus’ Greek was, but Nazareth, where he grew up was a solidly Jewish town. He wouldn’t have heard as much Greek as Philip.

 In the prologue we read that Jesus came to his own people and they did not receive him (v.11), and from chapter five onwards we have seen how the Jews have rejected Jesus. How they did not want to see who Jesus really was. But the prologue also said, in 1:12,  ‘But to all who did receive him…he gave the right to become the children of God’ This is now reality. The Jews have rejected Jesus, but others, these Greeks, they want to see Jesus.

 Remember Jesus said to Andrew and Philip, ‘Come and see’, and Philip said to Nathaniel, ‘Come and see’, and the Samaritan woman said to the people of her village, ‘Come and see’. That is exactly what these Greeks – who represent the whole Gentile world – this is what they are doing – they are coming to see.

 The Pharisees, with little hope say – the whole world has gone after him. The writer is saying, they are right – that is what is going to happen – the whole world, the whole Gentile world represented by these Greeks – is going to follow Jesus.

 For Philip this request is massive. And it is massive for the writer, so we see he slows the camera down. For in this Gospel Jesus has had no ministry with Gentiles. Nicodemus, the royal official, whose son was sick, the lame man, the blind man, Lazarus, Martha, Mary, his disciples, the crowds – they are all Jews. And the Samaritans were half Jews. They were not Gentiles. This is according to what Jesus says in Matthew 15:24, that his mission was for the lost sheep of Israel.

 So, it is a huge thing that these Greeks wanted to see Jesus. Philip doesn’t think he can just take the request by himself. He needs support. So he finds Andrew, who also has a Greek name. Maybe Philip thinks he can help with interpretation if there are problems. Also he probably wants a second opinion. Should they approach Jesus or not?

 Notice how Andrew – again – is the connector He connected his brother to Jesus; he connected the boy with bread and fish to Jesus; and now he is connecting these Greeks to Jesus.

 The message comes to Jesus and we expect him either to say – great, let them come and see me at such and such a time, or not so great, I can’t see them now. Sorry. But we don’t get a yes or a no. In fact we never know whether Jesus ever talked to these Greeks. That’s typical of Jesus in this Gospel. His reactions are not what we expect.

 What we do know is that this request triggers ‘the hour’. We have been hearing about this hour since chapter 2…Jesus to his mother, ‘My hour has not yet come’. Then from chapter seven Jesus’ enemies want to arrest him, but they can’t, because his hour has not yet come. And now – with this request from the Greeks, and listen to what Jesus says: ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified’.

 Why is it this request that triggers, starts, Jesus’ hour? Many think the answer to this question lies in Isaiah, a prophet quoted twice in this chapter, and a prophet who is quoted 25 times in the New Testament. Isaiah underlined at least three things that help us answer our question. One is that Isaiah talked about how the Jews would not respond. That is in Isaiah 6, and is quoted here in 12:40. The second is that Isaiah explains that Christ’s Messiah is also the Suffering Servant the sacrifice for sins. This is spelt out most powerfully from Isaiah 52:13 – Isaiah 53:12. Indeed that passage starts with the Messiah being lifted up, which we hear about in John 12. And then finally it is Isaiah who spells out that this Messiah’s ministry will stretch way beyond Israel. He will be a ‘light to the nations’ (49:6). Jesus believed that he was fulfilling what Isaiah predicted. He knew that He was the lamb that had to be slaughtered, according to Isaiah 53:6.

 And He also knew his suffering was going to have a fundamental impact on the Gentiles, for that is also in Isaiah. In 52:15 we read that the nations are going to be startled. In Jesus’ mind his suffering and the response of the Gentiles are totally connected. So for Jesus, this ‘We want to see Jesus’ is not just a polite  request for an interview. It signals for him the start of the hour, the light to the Gentiles is going to start, and that means that first his suffering is going to start. And so Jesus starts to talk about his hour having come.

 What does Jesus then say about his death. First, He turns our understanding of glory upside down, because the glory is the death. The word used here for glory is kabod, which means a visible manifestation of the divine. Something that makes it very obvious that God is involved in what happens. That is certainly true of the cross when you think of the curtain splitting and the darkness.

 Then secondly, He emphasizes that the glory is both death and life, that the death brings the life – and bearing much fruit. That again takes us to Isaiah 52 and 53, especially 53: 11 where we are told that the suffering of Christ will ‘make many to be accounted righteous’

 And thirdly, v.25 – 26, all of us have to have the same attitude as Jesus towards life in this world. We must be ready to give it up. If not, we will lose eternal life. This losing one’s life to find it is a proverb found in all the Gospels – Mark 8:35, Matthew 10:39, and Luke 9:33. The wording is a little different, the teaching the same. And the aim is the same. Not for us to hate our lives, but to hate our lives if they stop us finding eternal life.

 That means we must be where He is, in other words, we will have to follow his walk to the cross. We must follow. That is what servants do. And this will guarantee the receiving the Father’s honour.

 In v.26. We have ‘I am’. The divine name. Where I am. Where the divine presence is. We do not serve without his presence, and we do not serve without the Father’s pleasure. This is not blind following. This is the most logical thing for any human being to do. To live in God’s presence. And that means serving.

 After talking about his death, we now have Jesus’ reaction towards it.

 27 – 28a.

 Jesus is deeply troubled. We are reminded of what happened when he was in front of Lazarus’ tomb. He is looking at his death which will be unlike any other death – and he recoils. He does not want this to happen.

 And so he asks, ‘Can this death be avoided? Can I be saved?’ It is exactly the same as what happens in the Garden of Gethsemane – which is not recorded in John.

Jesus asks – and gives the answers. In Gethsemane Jesus says, not my will, but yours be done, here he says – but this is why I came. I came for this hour. I came to die for the salvation of mankind. And – as with Lazarus’ death, so now – there is only one issue that matters. The glory of God. So, Father, if this is for your glory – let it be.

 In the synoptics we know that angels comforted Jesus, here we have God’s voice. And note the message – the Father and Son are one – the cross is going to be about Jesus’ glory. The Father has glorified Jesus’ name through the miracles, now He is going to glorify it through the cross and resurrection.

 The word for voice carries the idea of an echo. So it was not crystal clear. Jesus understands what is said, but the crowd don’t. Jesus then says though that the voice has come for the sake of the crowd. This seems odd if the crowd had not understood what had been said. The point is that after the cross and resurrection, the disciples would remember that this had happened, and this event underlines that Jesus death, which was difficult then for many to understand –it was from God

 After this Jesus and the writer gives more teaching about what his death means.

 31 – 33.

 We are told four things:

 1. Jesus’ death will judge the world

 The cross happens because men reject Christ, who has proved that He is from God So, to reject Christ is to reject God.

 2. Jesus’ death will cast out the ruler of the world, Satan. The word used is ‘archOn’, which means a ruler or a prince. On the cross his authority – which was always temporary and always under the sovereignty of God – is completely broken.

 3. Jesus’ will be lifted up. The use of ‘lifting up’ which the writer explains to us means his crucifixion,– and the passage in Isaiah which has so much influence on understanding Jesus’ death, 52:13 – 53:12. The opening verse of that passage, 52:13 speaks of God’s servant being ‘lifted up’. And then in v. 14 we find out that he is marred, and this speaks to the nations.

 4. This lifting up will draw all men to Christ. This does not mean every individual, otherwise all the verses that talk about judgement on those who reject Christ and God become meaningless. No, this means every type of person will be drawn to Christ. Jews and Greeks. So here is Jesus’ answer to the Greeks. Yes, you will be able to see me when I am lifted up. It is the cross you have to see.

 The crowd hear all this and have a question. The want to believe that Jesus is the Messiah – but here is Jesus talking about dying, and they have heard that the Messiah is not going to die. We don’t know exactly which verse from the Old Testament they are thinking of, but there are plenty.

 Psalm 72:17 May his name endure forever; Psalm 89: 35 – 37 talks of the Christ’s throne being eternal and Ezekiel 37:25 talks of a prince who will live forever. And the image of the Son of Man, the title Jesus has used, we have in Daniel 7: 13 – 14. It is absolutely not of someone who is going to die on a cross. Here we have a heavenly being who is given everlasting dominion. So – we can understand the crowd’s question. We think you might be the Messiah – but, how come you are going to die?

 Jesus doesn’t answer their question – because He has already told them that He is going to be lifted up. Again Isaiah is important here. Yes, we have Daniel 7, but we also have Isaiah’s very vivid description of the Suffering Servant. Instead of answering the question, Jesus warns these Jews. He says the light is only with you for a little longer. To become a son of light, you must believe in the light, i.e. you must believe in me. If not – darkness will overtake you. Jesus is clearly saying – the opportunity for you to be saved is running out. Be careful.

 And then he hides himself. That is what is going to happen. There is someone listening who wants to believe, but he or she delays. And then they are too late. Jesus is not there.

 Now we have the explanation about why the Jews don’t believe and Jesus’ final appeal to the Jews.

 12:37 – 50

 It is obvious from the story, obvious from what happened later – when the early church started – that the Jews did not believe. For Jews this is an issue. If Jesus is the Messiah, why did not the Jews in his time believe. Why would the Jews reject their Messiah? And why would they do this when Jesus has performed powerful miracles that prove he is from God – healing a lame man, giving sight to a blind man, raising Lazarus from the dead. Why? And again we see the importance of Isaiah. For this is where the writer turns, first with a reference to Isaiah 53:1 underlining that people were not going to believe in Christ, and then this is reinforced by the famous passage that comes after Isaiah’s vision in chapter 6.

 The key verse is 6:10. The Jews do not respond because God has blinded them. They don’t respond because God does not want them to respond. Theologians have an important title for what is happening here. It is called ‘judicial hardening’. This means it is just, fair, that this hardening happens. This surely goes back to John 9. The healing of the blind man showed conclusively that Jesus was from God; but the Jews refused to believe this. So it is fair that now they are blind. We have the same idea in 2 Thessalonians 2:11. There are people who refused to love the truth, and so God sends them ‘a strong delusion’ They choose deception; God sends deception. It is a ‘judicial hardening’.

 When the writer in v. 41 says that Isaiah says these things – about the Jews rejecting Christ – because Isaiah saw Jesus’ glory, it is possible to think of the vision that the prophet had at the start of Isaiah 6. However it is much more likely that Isaiah saw the glory of Jesus’ suffering and cross and resurrection and understood that this glory would be rejected by the Jews.

 It is important to say that because this hardening comes from God, this means that God – who is utterly sovereign – can always have mercy. The hardening can be lifted. Let me say this another way – with God, there is always hope. He is a Person, not a fixed system.

 There is hope in v. 42 where we read that many of the authorities do believe in Christ. They are not all opposed to Him, but this hope is then weakened because it is not allied with courage. If they say they believe in Christ, then they will be put out of the synagogue. So, they do not confess their faith. And that for our writer is not good enough. If you are going to believe, you must confess your faith. If you don’t then ultimately you are loving your life and your reputation and the approval of others, more than what God can give us.

 Now we come to Jesus’ final appeal to the Jews, from v. 44 – 50.

 In v 44 this word is important, Jesus cries out. The opportunity for the Jews to believe is coming to an end. The door is closing. And He cares. It matters to him. Yes, some of them are his enemies. They have sneered at his background, Nazareth, joked about his birth, illegitimate, called him a Samaritan, called him a Sabbath breaker – and all the time they have called him a liar, a charlatan, a trickster. And yet – despite all this – Jesus wants them to be saved. He does not want the darkness to overcome them.

 In the next six verses Jesus makes one point: God has sent me; I am from God; this is a God story. Believe in me, and you are believing in God – reject me, and you are rejecting God. Look at v. 44, v,45, 49, and 50. In every verse apart from two, 46 and 47, this is the point he is making, this is his final appeal. And in v 46 and 47 Jesus is saying that what has motivated him, what has brought him from heaven to earth, is not a desire to judge, it is not a desire to bring harm, to bring darkness. He has come to bring salvation, to bring light.

 And in the last verse, verse 50, he spells out what is at stake. This is not about agreeing or disagreeing with a particular rabbi. No, the stakes are much higher. To believe in Christ is to experience eternal life. That is what God has commanded.

So, to disobey Christ is to reject eternal life.

 We come to the end of chapter 12. Now the door closes. In the next five chapters we will not see Jesus with the crowds, or even seekers. It is too late. Now he is with those who have chosen to come into the inside with Him.

 I would like to end by reminding you of three magnificent truths that we have seen in this second half of chapter 12.

 The first is the magnificent truth about the Bible. It is inspired by the Holy Spirit. For in this chapter we have seen how the prophet Isaiah – written seven hundred years before Christ – explains about how the Jews will reject Christ; how Christ is a light to the Gentiles; and about Christ’s suffering. It is because of Isaiah that we understand the significance of the Greeks saying, ‘We want to see Jesus’.

 The second magnificent truth is that what Christ says here about his death has proved true in history. Today there are 2.18 billion Christians in the world. And they are of all types. Millions in South America, in Africa, in Asia. Jesus’ cross has given the world much fruit.

 And finally, let us go back to what Jesus says in 12:26 ‘where I am, my servant will be’. There is no better place to be than in fellowship with Christ. Yes, that will mean our own suffering, but be encouraged, that suffering is temporary, that suffering has glory, and best of all that suffering is in fellowship with Christ.