Are We Secret Believers?

Lesson #203

Even though Jesus taught with authority and backed up what he taught with many signs, most of those who heard him would not believe. As a result of disobedience on the part of the Jewish people from the time they were chosen, God turns from them and enlists the Gentiles, leaving for the time being, the Jews outside of his grace of salvation. In a way he blinded their eyes and hardened their heart because of their disobedience. Isaiah prophesied this condition of unbelief long before Jesus came to earth.

Let us return to our text and see what John has for us today. “Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him” (John 12:41 ESV). “In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple” (Isaiah 6:1 NASB). King Uzziah reigned for 52 years as one of the great kings, who walked with God until the end when he sinned by assuming the role of a priest and made an offering. This sin tarnished his reign, leaving the people wondering who could be another good king to lead them. At this point God brings Isaiah on the scene to point to the Lord, God’s Son, “sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple” as their perfect king. Jesus came to earth claiming to be that king, but he did not fulfill the expectations of the king the people had in mind and thus was rejected by most as a fraud. However, Isaiah saw the glory of Christ, the indescribable majesty of the "Word of God," that would become flesh and dwell among us. There are few verses of the New Testament that convey as clearly as this reference does to the pre-existence of Jesus Christ and his place in the eternal Godhead.

“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” (John 12:42 ESV). In the last two lessons the focus was on unbelief, but here there might be a ray of hope with the use of the word “Nevertheless,” which implies that there were some who believed, even among the authorities. If we think back to earlier lessons in chapter 3, Nicodemus comes to mind as one who eventually stood in defense of Jesus. However, the meaning of “believed” must be considered. Consider the demons that Jesus cast out of people: “Demons also came out of many, crying out, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them, and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ” (Luke 4:41 NET). They believed because they knew who Jesus was and they confessed that, but they would still spend an eternity in hell. These demons believed and confessed, but were still eternally lost. In Romans, we read in 10:9 – 10: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (ESV). Something seems to be missing because this isn’t true when applying to the demons Jesus is casting out of people. We might find the missing condition in Luke 6:46: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (ESV). Obedience is that missing condition. True belief results in obedience, which results in a lifestyle that you can’t hide for very long. I read reports from persecuting countries, where people come to salvation, but out of fear keep their conversion secret, but as they grow spiritually people see a change in their lives and eventually determine there has been a conversion. Like the Pharisees, some of these people who live under persecution are in bondage under fear for a time, but if truly saved their conversion will become known. The Pharisees did not want to be put out of the synagogue, and these people here mentioned did not want to be isolated from their loved ones and face possible death for their relationship with Jesus.

The Pharisees remained silent about their belief, “for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God” (John 12:43 ESV). This expression gives a distinct difference between the Pharisees and the people living under persecution. The Jews desiring glory from men more than from God remained silent while the people living under persecution desired to maintain family relationships and feared the consequences of rejection. In both cases, true belief will be validated by their obedience to the Lord and resulting lifestyle.

Prayer

Father, this was a longer than usual lesson, but the text required it be done as one lesson. I believe this lesson is vitally important for us today because of many in the American church that believe they are Christian, but seem to fall in the category of those who call Jesus Lord but do not obey his commands. Father, I fear this number may be larger than we realize. Lord, encourage us to evaluate our lifestyle against the Bible to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to support our confession. 

They Could Not Believe

Lesson #202

In this lesson we will look at a reason why the people did not believe. Again John quotes from the prophecy of Isaiah; “Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, “He has blinded their eyes     and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”” (John 12:39 – 40 ESV). Since they “could not believe,” one might ask, “Why could they not believe?” The answer is not straight forward and is viewed differently by people who hold to different views about how people come to salvation. Let us begin by involving God in the reason. We might say that God had determined to leave the people in their blindness and hardness of their hearts, and to deny them his grace. Without his grace their hardness will not lessen, enabling them to believe. We must remember that salvation is a gift freely given by God. The question is what prompts this gift? Is it based on God’s sovereignty or on our faith? If you say our faith, then what prompts your faith? As I think about this I see little difference between creation and evolution, and between God’s sovereignty and free will. For me, Scriptures is clear; God spoke the universe into existence from nothing, not evolution and God adds to the body of Christ through his sovereignty, not our free will.

God chose the Jewish people to be his people, who he planned to use as a means of revealing himself and his plan of salvation to the world, but from the beginning they were a rebellious self-centered people who were unwilling to humbly serve the Lord. Instead they wanted to serve themselves. There were times when God wanted to do away with them, but he didn’t and he still hasn’t, but when they were unwilling to accept Jesus as their Messiah, God set them aside for the time and turned to the Gentiles to help him. This ushered in the church age of grace, which I believe comes to an end during the tribulation period because of the great multitude that obtain salvation during the tribulation. I believe they are part of the body of Christ, part of the church. I believe, that during the tribulation period, God’s attention turns from the church back to the Jewish people. We must leave this discussion and return to our study.

It seems that since the Jews did not obey God’s plan for them, requiring him to turn to the Gentiles to help carry it out, “He has then blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and turn to me, and I would heal them.” (NET). The day will come when God will touch the hearts of the Jewish people and then they will realize that Jesus was indeed their Messiah, but for now only a few are chosen to understand and receive the gift of eternal life. We must be careful not to look down on the Jews for their disobedience because the American church has through disobedience turned from a Biblical church to a cultural church, allowing our wonderful country to slip into the hands of the powers of darkness. We are very quickly turning from the kingdom of light to the domain of darkness where all forms of evil lurk. At this point our suffering is not from persecution (it would be better if it was), but from the effects of not walking with the Lord as we should. When we live the way we want to live, the results are usually, in the end, not so pleasant as the lives of so many Christians show.

Prayer

Father, the thought that comes to mind as I come to the end of this lesson is from Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives 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” (ESV). If this was the way we lived, the western church would look so different today as would be the direction of our country. Father, have mercy on us as you judge our failure. 

They Still Did Not Believe

Lesson #201

With this lesson we will start the next section of chapter 12, defined by John 12:36 – 43, which considers the unbelief of the people. Tension has been growing between the Jewish authorities and Jesus and so he decides to go undercover for a while. “When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them” (John 12:36 ESV). Here is where the public ministry of Jesus comes to an end. People who have been following him will not see him again until he appears as a criminal in the hands of the officers of the Sanhedrin, on his way to the Praetorium. In the verses to follow, John presents his own reflections on why his own people would not receive him.

“Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him” (John 12:37 ESV). How the people responded then is not much different today; there is evidence of who Jesus is, but people let it pass by. At the time of Jesus, the people heard him speak and saw him perform miracles. Today we see and hear reports of God doing great things among Christians as well as unbelievers and we see how surrender to Jesus results in changed lives. The purpose of miracles is to establish faith in Jesus Christ and provide abundant proof of the deity of Jesus and his Messiahship, but people in their hardness of heart are not moved and continue to walk in spiritual darkness.

“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?”” (John 12:38 ESV). The quote in verse 38 is from Isaiah 53:1, which is a chapter devoted to prophecy of the Messiah. Isaiah suggests, that there would only be a few that would believe the report made in the ministry of the Gospel, concerning the Messiah. Even though the testimony of Jesus was true and was confirmed by miracles, and mighty deeds, the people simply would not believe and accept his powerful and special grace to them.

“and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” can have several meanings: It may refer to the Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation; It may refer to the Lord Jesus Christ himself, who is the power of God, by whom he made the heavens and the earth, and upholds them, and by whom he has redeemed and saved his people; or It may refer to the Holy Spirit by whom these miracles were done. No matter which meaning is correct, the people were not willing to submit to the evidence and believe.

Maybe there is a reason for this unbelief that we will discover in our next lesson.

Prayer

Father, as I think about the unbelief of the people covered in this lesson, my thinking is prompted with thoughts from 2 Corinthians 4:3 – 4: “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (ESV). The gospel that Jesus is proclaiming is seen as foolishness by those who are perishing; those who were not chosen by you before the foundation of the world. Those unchosen ones are left in darkness, under the power of the god of this world, to blind their minds, and to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel. By your sovereign will you select those you will adopt as your children and they will hear and believe. Your selection is not random and will not leave out anyone truly desiring salvation; it is perfect according to your sovereign will. Thank you for salvation; so rich and free. 

Darkness to Light

Lesson #200

Jesus has been teaching throughout the Gospel of John that he was the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Christ their coming Messiah, but the people believe that the Christ would not die, but live forever. Let us go back to the text and see what the crowd had to say: “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?”” (John 12:34 ESV). The people have been listening to Jesus, but based on information they have received from public teaching, they believe the Law states that Christ will remain forever. The people realize that Jesus has been holding himself up as the Christ and that he must die a violent death, which ran counter to all their ideas of the Messianic prophecies; prophecies like: “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13 – 14 ESV). They could not see that Jesus who was the Christ must die first.

“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.” (John 12:35 ESV). Jesus did not respond to their question but instead refers back to John 8:12, where he claims to be the light of life and as that light he will not be with them much longer and when he leaves they will be left in darkness. The idea of being with them “for a little while longer” has been stated before: “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me.” (John 7:33); “Little children, yet a little while I am with you.” (John 13:33); “Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:19); “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” (John 16:16). Jesus is encouraging them to use this “little while” to understand their need as sinners and to see Jesus as their savior to allow them to be with their Messiah. Jesus says to them that they need to come to this understanding while they have the light among them, because if darkness overtakes you, you will not know where you are going. In that darkness are unseen perils and pitfalls to stumble over. They will have no perception of imminent danger and will be driven on by a measureless force to their eternal destruction. Their only hope is to be in the light that only Jesus can offer.

Jesus holds out an offer to them: “While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” (John 12:36 ESV). While the light is among you, believe in the light; believe in Jesus who is that light that gives life. By coming to the light and believing in the light you will be born again and will become sons of light. Paul speaks of this in 1 Thessalonians 5:5: “For you all are sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of the darkness” (NET). We as believers carry this light throughout the world, providing people the opportunity to come to it, but many will refuse and continue to walk in darkness into eternal destruction. Now is the time of salvation. We must not wait.

Prayer

Father, the more time I spend preparing these lessons the more aware I am of the darkness of the world in which we live and of the darkness that prevails in the hearts of unbelievers. Father, even many believers tend to stay in the shadows because of the pleasure of sin and the enjoyment the world offers. Father, I find that these things are nothing compared to the love, joy and peace you offer. Father, thank you for your training and discipline used to guide my life. 

The Uniqueness and Power of the Cross

Lesson #199

The voice from heaven just validated who Jesus is and now Jesus is going to try to help the people understand that before their Messiah rules as the King, he must suffer and die for the people. We will see in future lessons that this concept is going to severely alienate the people from Jesus, even to the point that they will cry out for his crucifixion. Following the voice from heaven, Jesus continues by saying, “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out” (John 12:31 ESV). Paul spoke of the ruler of this world: “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:3 – 4 ESV). Through his death on the cross and his resurrection, Jesus assures that the world will be judged for its evil and its stand against God, especially their stand against Jesus and his followers. The victory that Jesus gains over death, guarantees that the reign of Satan as the ruler of this world will end at the end of the age.

Jesus continues to say, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32 ESV). There is some debate on how to interpret the phrase “lifted up from the earth.” Does it refer to the Lord’s resurrection and ascension or does it refer to his being lifted up and hung on the cross to die? The next verse speaks of his death and in the conversation with Nicodemus, the same language is used: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14 – 15 ESV). In John 6:44 we first encountered the concept “will draw” when Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 3:44 ESV). Jesus is declaring that his death on the cross would draw all of those whom the Father has chosen. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus draws as the Father gives, those chosen in ages past. By the Father’s work of grace, those chosen are prepared to come to Christ and when they hear the message about the work Jesus finished on the cross, they find it more compelling than anything the world has to offer and they surrender their will to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This work on the cross, this matchless love of God, is a pronouncement of judgment against the world and its prince.

Why did Jesus say he would be lifted up? “He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die” (John 12:33 ESV). Jesus was making it very clear to the people listening, who had just heard the Father speak from heaven, that he would be lifted up and nailed to a cross and die and through that death would release judgment against the world and gain victory over its ruler, the devil. He also made it clear that his death on the cross and his resurrection would divide the population of the world into two groups; those chosen by the Father and those not chosen. Those chosen would see it as the power of salvation and those not would see it at utter foolishness. In which group do you currently find yourself?

Prayer

Father, how compelling this passage is concerning your validation of who Jesus is, how he would die and what would be gained by that death. The promise Jesus made on the cross that he would draw all of those you chose is being realized throughout the world every day. Father, thank you for your plan of salvation and its implementation that provides us with the gift of salvation. Thank you for such a rich and powerful text. Thank you for salvation so rich and free through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Lord, thank you for your overwhelming love for us that you would be willing to sacrifice yourself in our place on the cross. 

The Voice from Heaven

Lesson #198

We closed our last lesson with Jesus saying, “Father, glorify your name.” If you were standing there when Jesus spoke those words, how would you feel, what would be your reaction when a voice spoke from heaven saying, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again” (John 12:28). When the people were camped before Mount Sinai and God prepared to speak, “. . . [and] all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was” (Exodus 20:18 – 21 ESV). If we have truly encountered God and know and understand him, should we not experience some fear before the living God of the universe? How can a sinner stand before a holy God and not have some semblance of feat? We seem to have lost this respect for him today!

This is one of three recorded times when the voice from heaven spoke during the earthly ministry of Jesus. The first was at his baptism: “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”” (Matthew 3:16 – 17 ESV). The second was at his transfiguration: “[Jesus] was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”” (Matthew 17:5 ESV).

“The crowd that stood there and heard the voice said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”” (John 12:29 ESV).  People who write commentaries can’t agree whether the speech was distinct or not. I believe the words were clearly spoken based on the words being understood in the first two instances listed above and on what Jesus will say about this in the next verse. I believe the voice was so loud and majestic that the people described the sensation like that of thunder, maybe like the voice of an angle as some in the crowd said. “Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine.”” (John 12:30 ESV). This comment, I believe, establishes that the words were understandable and were for their sake; to convince them that he was the Messiah, and engage them to believe in him, or to leave them without excuse.

This lesson is a bit shorter, but this is a good break point in the text.  

Prayer

Father, three times you have spoken from heaven to validate that Jesus is your Son, the Messiah and these three times the people had the opportunity to hear the Father speak. Several times Jesus made claims as to who he was and backed up his claims with a miracle. Father, today in areas of severe persecution you are giving visions and dreams to people to validate who Jesus is. All around us is evidence to validate the claims of Jesus Christ, but people continue to disbelieve what they hear or see. Father, have mercy on us for our disobedience and continue to encourage us to walk with the Lord as we should. 

My Soul is Deeply Troubled

Lesson #197

With this lesson we will start the next section, defined by John 12:27 – 36, in which Jesus teaches about his coming death on the cross. “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” (John 12:27 ESV). What a verse! Have you ever experienced a time when you faced something that totally overwhelmed you and set your adrenaline surging through your body? Jesus is drawing closer and closer to an event that is beyond our understanding because we have never been without sin and about to experience the sting of death and the cup of God’s wrath, which will separate Jesus from his Father. Try to imagine what it would be like for Jesus, the holy righteous Son of God, to absorb our sin with the death that comes with it and the curse of God as punishment.

When Jesus saw Mary and the Jews weeping, in John 11:33, he became deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled as he thinks about the evils and curse of death that took the life of his friend Lazarus. This God Man is beginning to more fully realize that his state of holiness is about to become indescribably horrid; something he has never experienced in all of eternity. “Now” that Jesus is closer to the cross, he again is reminded about what lies ahead and as a result his soul is troubled or stirred up and unsettled. He is so deeply troubled that he doesn’t know what to say to his Father. Think about having the knife to your throat with the command to deny the Lord or else you get sliced. What shall you say? Do you deny Jesus to save your body or do you stand firm and give your body as a living sacrifice to God as many of our brother and sisters who are living under persecution?

The Son of Man feels the full weight of what lies ahead (the horrific suffering from scourging, the agony of the cross, and the separation from his Father) and he says, “What shall I say?” He thinks of the coming agony and would like so much to avoid it, but he realizes it was for this purpose that he has come to this hour and he cries out, “Father, glorify your name” (John 12:28a ESV). A heavy dark cloud seems to be hanging over him, but for a moment there appears to be a slight break in the gloomy darkness of agony and instead of crying out for a legion of angles to deliver him from the impending tremendous trial, he utters a prayer from the depths of his heart and cries out, “Father, glorify your name.” How do you think his Father will respond? We will find out in the next lesson.

Prayer

Father, there are times when I feel overwhelmed by a trial that seems to close in on me with its deepening darkness of despair. I know this trial is for my benefit, to know my spiritual growth, but I feel alone and wonder where you are. Like my exams in college when my teacher watches, I know you are watching and I know that the trial will not overwhelm me and will be for my benefit. Father, I pray that each trial will develop greater endurance and reveal areas of needed growth. Lord, through my suffering I need to stay focused on the cross where you suffered for me and know that not only am I crucified with you, but I will rise with you.