John 12:12-19
So Close Yet So Far
This chapter stands out for so many reasons but one maybe obvious
from the title of the message. On this day, the Jews were so close
to accepting Jesus as their Savior; yet, within just five days, they
would reject Him altogether.
I. Jesus Offers Himself in two ways. There was either going to be a
coronation or a crucifixion!
A. Jesus offered Himself as the Jewish King
1. This account is the fulfillment of a prophecy.
Zec 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy
King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having
salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and
upon a colt the foal of an ass.
2. Jesus was officially presenting Himself as the King and
Messiah of Israel.
a. God knew that the Jews were going to reject Jesus; He
knew He would move them to a shelf; He knew that He
would created the church and the church age would
begin.
b. But God still made a bonafide offer to the Jews!
c. Israel could have had their promised King and kingdom
if they accepted Him.
B. \\#John 12:23\\ Jesus offered Himself as the sacrificial Lamb.
1. This was Jesus’ hour, and it had come!
a. Jesus had said several times that His hour had not
come. \\#John 2:4, 7:30, 8:20\\
b. Now it had!
c. What hour was it?
(1) The hour was not the offering to the Jews of the
kingdom because He knew they would reject that.
(2) The hour that He should die for our sins.
2. \\#23\\ Notice that that is Jesus’ hour of glorification.
a. There are many ways that Jesus could and did glorify
Himself (creation, incarnation, sinless life), but
the one He referred to was the hour that He died for
sinners!
b. And why not? Has there ever been an hour where nature
was so reversed?
(1) God was about to become sin and the sinners were
about to become sons of God!
(2) God was going to die and man was going to live.
(3) The Innocent was going to pay and the guilty were
about to be set free!
c. The seams of the universe should have been unraveling!
3. Of all the marvelous things God has ever done, this hour
must have been the most difficult and the reason for
doing so must have been the most glorious!
C. Going back to Jesus offering Himself as the King, it appeared
that the people were receiving Him.
1. \\#John 12:12-13\\ - The people from Jerusalem came.
2. \\#John 12:17-18\\ - The witness of Lazarus had drawn
them.
3. \\#John 12:20-22\\ - Even other nationalities recognized
Him.
4. \\#19\\ Of course, the religious leaders seeing what was
happening, asked Jesus to stop it.
Luke 19:39 And some of the Pharisees from among
the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy
disciples.
40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell
you that, if these should hold their peace, the
stones would immediately cry out.
a. There is no doubt that the Pharisees were disappointed
that all of these things happened, but they can not
be blamed for how the people turned on Jesus.
b. This was mostly likely happening on Sunday.
(1) I believe Jesus was crucified on the Thursday,
Passover.
(2) The religious leaders did not have the ability to
change the hearts of an entire nation in just
five days.
(3) I don’t know that I will ever understand how they
changed so completely.
(4) The bottom line had to be that the more they
thought about it, the less they wanted this
Jesus to be their King or Messiah.
II. \\#24\\ Jesus hinted at what He was about to do.
A. Jesus does not give details as to what is going to happen.
1. \\#16\\ The disciples did not understand what was or would
happen.
2. That’s is something He would just have to do.
B. However, He does give a symbolic picture.
1. \\#24\\ Jesus, like a corn kernel, would fall to the
ground and die; but in doing so, He would bring forth
much fruit!
2. The message there is that death brings forth life, more
life, abundant life.
3. God wrote that precept into nature!
a. Death - the message is clear to us with our
hindsight.
John 12:33 This he said, signifying what death
he should die.
b. But Jesus was also speaking of LIFE. The eternal
lives of the saved—both under Old Testament and New-
through His death.
C. \\#25-26\\ But the message of this symbol is not just about
what Jesus was going to do.
1. It was also about what we are to do.
a. Jesus, the master Kernel, died to gives us life.
b. Now we who are the products of His death, are to die
for the lives of others.
2. Jesus speaks that out in these verses.
a. "He that loveth his life shall lose it" - If we live
for this life, we will lose life. That means we will
die separated from God and be damned.
b. "he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it
unto life eternal." Live as though you hate this
world (putting Jesus first) and you will gain eternal
life.
c. "If any man serve me, let him follow me" - If you
claim to be Jesus’, do what He did.
(1) Die!
(2) That may or may not be literal.
d. "and where I am, there shall also my servant be" - If
we do, we will go to where He is. That is heaven.
We will be in heaven!
e. "him will my Father honour." - God will reward those
who choose to die rather than to live.
D. \\#27\\ NOTE the personal revelation - "Now is my soul
troubled"
1. The death that lay ahead was not easy!
a. Even the perfect Man acknowledged that death is
troubling.
b. Bear in mind, His death was to be the equivalent
of eternal damnation for the entire human race.
c. But He was troubled over it.
d. It was this troubled soul that asked the disciples to
pray with Him in the garden.
2. Alone or not, troubled or not, Jesus would not and did not
shirk the cross.
E. \\#28\\ Then note how the Father spoke to glorify the Son.
1. The Father will speak again on the cross.
2. And He will send angels to minister to Jesus in the
Garden.
3. The Father was pleased with the Son!
III. \\#31-32\\ The Effect - "Now" - Jesus declared two things that
were happening at this hour.
A. \\#31\\ Judgment
1. Upon "this world" and on the "prince of this world."
2. Judgment had been assured since sin came but once God
judged His Son for becoming sin, how could one think
that He would somehow let the world and the devil get
by?
3. On the world - Jesus’ death was the double guarantee that
the tribulation would come.
a. The justice of what will happen to this world and
to those upon it, will never compare to the
injustice of what this world and the people on it
did to Jesus!
b. As every inch of Jesus’ body suffered, so every inch
of this planet will suffer.
c. As every member of Jesus’ body cringed in pain and
died, so every member of the earth will cringe in
pain and suffer.
d. God’s promise, "Vengeance is mine and I will repay it"
will come true with a fever.
4. Satan’s judgment will likewise be sure and painful.
a. Satan’s eternal abode must surely be in the worse
spot of damnation!
b. No one can comprehend hell.
c. Someone wrote, "The devil always promises more than he
can deliver and God always delivers more than He
promises." That is true of blessings and judgment!
B. \\#32\\ Salvation
1. Once the hour was passed, Jesus knew that souls would be
drawn to Him.
2. And how they have and are being drawn even in this day of
great apostasy.
Every human being alive on the earth since Jesus’ crucifixion has
been living in the "now." It is either salvation or judgment.
Choose carefully.
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