Israel's Rejection of Messiah; John 12:27-50

We have come to the close of an extended section of the Gospel of John. At the end of this chapter Jesus concludes His public presentation and discourse in the nation. From this point on, starting in 13:1, Jesus will begin to privately instruct His disciples on doctrines necessary for the new age, the age of the church.

In His humanity Jesus Christ was subject to all of the frailties of the human race. He was true humanity, the second Adam. He was going to exhibit in the first advent all of the character qualities that would have been expected of Adam had he been successful in resisting the temptation of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. One of the most basic character qualities demonstrated by Jesus is humility. It is that humility that is going to be the foundational virtue required for those who rule and reign with Him in the messianic kingdom. So Jesus enters into Jerusalem not on a horse but on a donkey, very humble, demonstrating His humility; and the people rejected Him.

John 12:27 ^NASB “Now My soul has become troubled…” This is the perfect passive indicative of the Greek verb tarasso [tarassw]. The intensive perfect tense indicates that it is the present result of a past action. Because this happened, now he is going through this turmoil. It is a word used to describe a rough sea, something that has stirred up. Jesus doesn’t sin, and obviously because He is impeccable, He never loses this perfect peace, this absolute tranquillity, supernatural contentment. It never disappears. But at the same time He is going through emotional turmoil. The mentality of the soul is where thinking takes place; emotion is where response takes place. We go through life and encounter various tests and circumstances, and they may instantly generate an emotional response. That emotional response then becomes a test. How are we going to handle the generation of this emotion in our soul? Are we going to act on the emotions or are we going to act on the doctrine in our soul? With Jesus, the reason there is turmoil is because the perfect, sinless, impeccable Son of God, who for all eternity has been perfect righteousness, knows that within a week he will be on the cross. He is not operating on fear, he is recognising that His perfect righteousness is going to receive the imputed sin of all of human history in a short time. “… and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour’.” Immediately He is stabilised by doctrine. He focuses on doctrine so that instead of reacting from emotional response, which would go into sins of emotion, He avoids the emotional sinning by operating on the doctrine that is resident in His soul. And that is the pattern that is set for us in handling the unruly emotions.

He goes on to focus on what the real issue is. The real issue in life, the ultimate goal for every believers as it was for Christ, is to glorify God’s essence, to glorify His person, that everything we do should accrue to the maximum glorification of God. He says three things. First, “Save me from this hour.” Then He focuses on doctrine and says, “For this purpose I came to this hour.” And third, [28] “Father, glorify Your name.” We know from an isagogic study of backgrounds in Jewish culture that “name” always reflected a person’s essence or character. “… Then a voice came out of heaven: ‘I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again’.” For the third time during the incarnation he gets a direct verbal, audible response from heaven. It indicates the plan of God is continuing in action throughout all of history and it is through His interaction with history that God’s character is magnified and glorified. But look at the response of the multitude, v. 29.

John 12:29 ^NASB “So the crowd {of people} who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, ‘An angel has spoken to Him’.” This is the naturalist response, the atheist response. God doesn’t exist, so it must have just been thunder. We have to explain God’s working in purely natural scientific law. It cannot be that God actually interferes in human history, there must be some other explanation! Their presupposition is such that they immediately reinterpret the evidence so that it no longer means what it is. The first response was the naturalist, the second was the supernaturalist who is the mystic: “Well it had to be a spirit or an angel, it couldn’t have been God.” Both groups have heard the audible, verbal voice of God, and instead of responding did in Isaiah chapter six and submitting to the authority of God they immediately reinterpreted it. They had to explain it in some other way.

John 12:30 ^NASB “Jesus answered and said, ‘This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes’.” This is like the resuscitation of Lazarus from the dead in chapter eleven: four days in the grace and now he is given life again. And here we have the verbal, audible voice of God from heaven. Between these two testimonies it convicts the nation of their rejection of God, and so it is after these events that never again will Jesus publicly teach in Israel. Jesus said, ‘This voice has not come for my sake but for your sakes because it will confirm you in your disobedience and your disbelief.’

John 12:31 ^NASB “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” The ruler of this world according to 2 Corinthians 4:4 and Ephesians 2:2 is Satan. Satan has been the one who has had free reign throughout the earth from the time of the tower of Babel all the way up to the cross. Now Jesus at the cross is going to establish the legal basis for ripping the kingdom away from the control of Satan. It does not come to fruition until the second coming when the Lord comes back and at that time, after the Battle of Armageddon, Satan and the false prophet and the Antichrist are cast into the bottomless pit. But from Babel to here he has had free reign among the Gentiles and now Jesus is saying that now these Gentiles have come to Him now is the time for judgment. At the cross Satan will be judged, the world system will be judged, and the result of this is that the ruler of this world is cast out. He will be defeated judicially at the cross even though it will not take place experientially until the second coming.

John 12:32 ^NASB “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” We need to notice what happens here in the dialogue. It tells us that these Jews who are listening to Him have been paying very close attention to what Jesus has been saying throughout His entire ministry. [33] “But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.” So Jesus is foreshadowing His death on the cross.’

John 12:34 ^NASB “The crowd then answered Him, “We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?’” This is a misinterpretation. They have confused the two advents, they think He is only going to come once, they do not understand that the cross must come before the crown, and they think that once the Messiah comes He is going to remain forever. Notice: They said, “How can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’?” Jesus did not say the Son of Man must be lifted up in v. 32, He said, “I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” Look back at John 3:14: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; [15] so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.” But he did not say the Son of Man must be lifted up in chapter 12, but they remembered that he said that. Now after three years they still don’t understand what he means by this term Son of Man. Who is this? What is the Son of Man?

John 12:35 ^NASB “So Jesus said to them, ‘For a little while longer the Light is among you’…” Did Jesus answer their question? No, He did not. Principle: Many times when you are presenting the gospel and witnessing to an unbeliever they are going to ask questions that you do not need to and should not answer, because the asking of the question presupposes a certain view of things that is false. There are certain questions that have behind them a boatload of baggage, and their boatload of baggage is that they have completely misinterpreted the Old Testament and the whole concept of the Son of Man. Jesus now at the end of His ministry has been teaching them over and over again and they have rejected that. Jesus knows that their volition is hardened, they are negative; he is not going to cater to their negative volition and try to answer the question. It has been answered again and again and again.

The Son of Man is a very important title. Why is it that Jesus uses this phrase, Son of Man? We saw it initially in John chapter one when Jesus was talking to Nathanael. It was used again in John 3:15. We have seen that this is a Hebraism. It is the same with the title Son of God. This is just a Hebrew way of emphasising the noun that is in the genitive construction here, and it is used to emphasise the fact that Jesus Christ is a man. He is true humanity. Son of God is to indicate that he is one hundred per cent deity.

The term Son of Man, though, carries with it a certain amount of theological baggage that goes back into the Old Testament. In Daniel chapter seven Daniel has a vision of four beasts. Daniel ^NASB 7:3 “And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another.” These beasts all are going to represent different kingdoms in human history. They are kingdoms of men but they are represented as beasts because man in his fallen nature and sinfulness is characterised more by beastliness and not humanity. [4] “The first {was} like a lion …” The second was like a bear, v.5. The third was like a leopard, it represents Greece, v.6. The fourth is described in v.7, “After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns… [9] I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took {His} seat; His vesture {was} like white snow And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne {was} ablaze with flames, Its wheels {were} a burning fire. [10] A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, And the books were opened… [13] I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him.” This is where that title derives and it emphasises His humanity. In contrast to all the fallen kingdoms of man, the great empires which are represented by beastliness because of sin that has destroyed their essential humanity, it is Jesus Christ who is true humanity who is going to rule and reign as a true man and show what is involved in that. And that takes us back to the point we have seen of the importance of having that grace oriented attitude of humility and being a servant. So this term Son of Man is loaded with baggage and, again, it challenges the entire concept of a political Messiah with the biblical concept of a saviour from sin at the first advent.

We continue to see the theme of light from John chapter eight where Jesus said “I am the Light of the world” all through this section, down through John chapter twelve. It emphasises this aspect of Jesus’ character and His ministry. Light represents revelation: the revelation of God, the revelation of truth. This is tied up and bound together in Jesus’ very life. John tells us in 1:4 that in Him was life and that life is the light of the world. In His life He comes to illuminate the world to the truth of God and to reveal God. John 1:18 ^NASB “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained {Him.}”

“So Jesus said to them, ‘For a little while longer the Light is among you’…” Take advantage of the opportunities that you have. In other words, you only get one chance in life in relation to the gospel. You might get that chance early, you might get that chance later, that one chance may involve several different opportunities but you only get once chance. “… Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.” He is in spiritual blindness, he may not even know the truth. The Old Testament says: “It is in they light, O Lord, that we see light.” You can only know truth ultimately if you presuppose the truth of Scripture.

John 12:36 ^NASB “’While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.’…” This is the subjunctive mood, indicating potentiality. It is up to individual volition to become sons of Light. This is what happens at salvation. At the moment we respond positively to salvation we have received the imputed righteousness of Christ, so we therefore are characterised by light. We become a child of light. That is why in Ephesians chapter five the apostle Paul says we are children of light and should therefore walk as children of light. This is our position in Christ. “These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.” This is the conclusion of His public ministry to Israel. But John goes on to give us the theological interpretation of these events, the divine viewpoint interpretation of what has just taken place.

John 12:37 ^NASB “But though He had performed so many signs before them, {yet} they were not believing in Him.” Scripture says that signs do not convince people. They provide evidence of the veracity of Jesus’ claims but it is not signs that convince people. People cannot come to know the truth unless the Holy Spirit makes it clear to them, and then they exercise their volition to reject it. That these people were not believing Him is a fulfilment of prophecy. [38] “{This was} to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: ‘LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?’ [39] For this reason they could not believe…” This is a harsh statement in the Scriptures. It is the phrase me dunamis [mh dunamij]. dunamis means power or ability. When it is joined with the negative me it means lack of power or lack of ability. “For this reason,” i.e. because of their initial negative volition there is a hardening in the soul. “… for Isaiah said again, [40] ‘HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM’. [41] These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.” In 600 BC Isaiah was given the vision of God and saw the glory of God in Isaiah 6. He could also see down the corridors of time and see the glorification of God at the cross. This clear from what he says in Isaiah chapter fifty-three. He clearly understood the suffering of the Messiah and His substitutionary death on the cross. [42] “Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing {Him,} for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; [43] for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.” They are ashamed that they are believers but they are believers. They are clearly believers but their values are based on human viewpoint systems of approval, they are afraid of social ostracism, afraid of religious ostracism, they are saved but are ashamed of it.

John 12:44, Jesus’ parting shots. As He turns around to leave He cries out to the whole crowd there so that all can hear. ^NASB “And Jesus cried out and said, ‘He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me’.” His claims here are to claim that belief in Him is the same as belief in God; rejection of Him is the same as rejection of God. It is His final indictment of the nation. [45] “He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. [46] I have come {as} Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.” He is accusing the Pharisees, those who have rejected Him, as truly having rejected God.

John 12:47 ^NASB “If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” This is the purpose of the first advent. He came to die on the cross but His very presence caused people to make a decision. The presence of Light in the world forced everyone to make a decision or reject Him. He did not come to judge but His very presence forced a judgment. [48] “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him [God the Father]; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.” It is the truth of Jesus’ claims, the commandment here, the Word there, that is spoken of here is the simple gospel. [49] “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment {as to} what to say and what to speak. [50] I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”

Summary: the Gospel of John up to this point

1) John presents Jesus as the Light of the world from chapter eight on. As the Light Jesus is the revealer of truth and what He reveals is life itself. So Jesus is the Light of the world and His revelation is life itself.

2) Jesus is one in essence with God and He alone is the revealer of God the Father, John 1:18.

3) This revelation of God is inherently divisive. Truth divides: it immediately challenges men to respond with either positive or negative volition, John 3:19-21.

4) So the primary purpose of Jesus at the first advent was not to judge mankind but to be judged for sin. His very presence judges mankind.

5) Those who are negative to God at God-consciousness reject God and will reject the truth of the gospel. Therefore they are said by the Scriptures to be in darkness, to be blind to the truth. 2 Corinthians 4:4, blinded by Satan.

6) Those who are positive will eventually respond by faith alone in Christ alone at gospel hearing. A person who is positive to God at God-consciousness may choose negative volition but can eventually be positive at gospel hearing even though it may take years. There may be years of negative volition, e.g. the apostle Paul. But he was positive at God-consciousness so ultimately it ended up with his positive volition.

7) Again and again Jesus equates Himself to God. His message is God’s message; he works the works of God; He has the authority of God; he speaks the message of God; he is the revealer of God.

8) The more light Jesus gives, the more divisive the reaction. The longer He went into His ministry the more, truth He taught, the more signs and wonders He performed, the more miracles which demonstrated who he was, the more divisive He became and the greater the animosity and antagonism from the religious crowd.

9) The national rejection by Israel leads to His crucifixion which then provides the basis for saving the entire world, Jew and Gentile alike.