We are reaching the climax of the gospel story. Earlier on in his gospel, John on a number of occasions record the comment that Jesus’ time or hour had not yet come. But here in chapter 12 Jesus declares ‘the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
Earlier Jesus had refused to be crowned king, now he rides into Jerusalem the Messiah, the anointed one, the crowds proclaiming him king.

Not only do the crowds proclaim him king, but also the voice of God from heaven affirms his glory. This is the final chapter in which John tells us of the public ministry of Jesus. From the beginning of chapter 13 there is simply the conversation that Jesus has with his 12 disciples, and then the crucifixion.

There is no doubt Jesus is the promised Messiah. The crowds acknowledge the reality of it. Old testament prophecies are fulfilled. God’s voice from heaven confirms it. But yet Jesus kingship is going to be very different from what the crowds are expecting.

People’s expectations were shaped to a great degree by the realities of history. Their great heroes, Joshua, David and other heroes of history had established their kingdoms by military victory. In fact that was the way it had always been. Nebuchadnezzar had done it for the Babylonians. Cyrus had done it for the Persians. Alexander had done it for the Greeks and Julius Caesar had done it for the Romans.

But the kingdom that Jesus had come to inaugurate was a very different type of kingdom to the earthly kingdoms of history. Jesus had come to establish the kingdom of God. For one thing it is an everlasting kingdom. The Jews were aware of this and this comes out in verse 34: ‘we have heard in the Law that the Christ will remain for ever’ they say.

It is foretold in the Old Testament that one day God will establish a kingdom that will last forever. One place you can find this is in Daniel chapter 2 v 44. Through the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar God revealed that one day he would establish a kingdom that would overcome all other kingdoms, a kingdom that will last forever.

Another thing that was to be distinct about the kingdom of God, is that it is to embrace all humanity. The invitation to join will be open to all. When Jesus is told that some Greeks want to meet him, he makes the statement that he will draw all people to himself. The Jews were expecting a messiah who would be specifically for them, but Jesus is very clear that God’s kingdom is for all.

Another distinctive of the kingdom is that it encompasses both this life and the next. The Jews are mystified when Jesus speaks of being lifted up. They know that it means being crucified. What they can’t understand is how Jesus can be the Messiah if he is going to be lifted up. Because if he is lifted up and crucified his reign will come to an end. But we know because he had taught it and events had revealed that Jesus was crucified, so that he might be raised from the dead, breaking the barrier that separates heaven and earth, opening the gates of heaven that men and women might go in. Reconciling fallen men and women to a holy God.
But perhaps the most wonderful aspect of the new kingdom is that it is a kingdom of freedom. Jesus came to Jerusalem without an army. No one had ever before been able to establish a kingdom without the aid of an army. But Jesus taught that he had not come to enforce God’s kingdom on anyone. Rather he had come to make people free. ‘If the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.’

Jesus presented himself to mankind, the only begotten Son of God, and left man free to respond as he chose. Some responded with hatred and violence. Even then, Jesus told his followers to put away their weapons. Jesus chose not to call the armies of angels that were at his disposal. Jesus chose the way of the cross rather than the world’s way, which is the way of the sword. His kingdom still operates today on the same principle of freedom. His kingdom is for those who respond freely to his love. His kingdom has also outlasted any other kingdom in history.

That’s not to say that there have not been those who in Christ’s name have endeavoured to use force to further the interests of the church. But when we look to Jesus, we find that he never forces anyone into his kingdom. Entry to his kingdom is for those who freely choose it.

Lets look now at three things Jesus claims he will accomplish here in chapter 12.

1. Jesus will establish the basis for mankind’s judgement. Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world. Her came to save the world. But in establishing the basis whereby people may be saved, it also establishes that if people reject his words, then there is no other help or hope for them. The judgement will be ‘You knew what you should have done, but you wouldn’t do it.’ Jesus invites people to believe him, but some choose not to. They prefer darkness to light because their deeds are evil.

2. Jesus will triumph over the devil. Jesus refers to the devil as the prince of this world. He says ‘now is the prince of this world driven out’. The devil is an oppressor who keeps men and women enslaved in sin. The human state is one where people are enslaved to the power of sin. You see the reality of this in the addictions and compulsive behaviour of people, and it always has been that way. There is a spiritual power behind the vices and sins that ensnare people. The ultimate power of the devil was to keep mankind enslaved in pride, or deceit or hatred. But Christ will pay the penalty for human sin, that men and women might be set free from the devil or the accuser, as he is sometimes referred to. By his death and resurrection Jesus will defeat the power of the devil.

3. Jesus reveals God to men and women. Jesus said (v44) ‘when a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me’. Jesus proclaims here publicly for everyone the truth that he is the image of the invisible God. Jesus is God made visible for us. God has made himself completely clear to us in Jesus.

But how do people respond? John tells us that some still refused to believe. In spite of all they had seen Jesus do and heard him say, they still would not believe in him.

God respects the choice of those who refuse to believe. He confirms their choice by hardening their hearts, and confirms them in their spiritual blindness. God in his love and grace has given them every opportunity. Jesus continues to offer the good news. ‘Put your trust in the light while you have the light’. The opportunity won’t be there forever. But God ultimately also gives people the freedom to reject him.

And then are those who believe in him but won’t own up to it for fear of what people will think. In v 42 John tells us that there were many who were in that camp, even some of the leaders. The Pharisees who had control of the local synagogues had said that if you gave your allegiance to Jesus, you would be excluded from worship at the synagogue.

I believe the reality is that a lot of us can move into this category from time to time. Even Peter the disciple would be doing it before the week was out, he would be denying that he even knew Jesus. If we have that sort of faith, then we can only acknowledge our failure and seek courage and help from God.

But there is an example of a superior level of faith that we see in John 12. Read v 1-8. Mary gives us an example of a faith that is not perturbed by what others think. She also reminds us that our devotion is first to him. Love him first, before we love our neighbour, because only in loving him will we have the grace and strength to love our neighbour.

She also reminds us that ultimately it is our love for Christ that matters. We love him because he first loved us. It is his kingdom of love that we come into when we believe.

Ultimately love is the greatest power in the universe because God is love. Love never fails. And in Christ God has shown us how much he loves us.

Amen
 

Acknowledgement.

I lay no claim to originality in my sermons. They are an attempt to pass on the gospel message in a contemporary way and depend on the bible as well as others who have studied and written on the passages in question. In preaching from John’s Gospel, I acknowledge my debt to Roy Clements for his book Introducing Jesus and I have also used material from Readings in John’s Gospel by William Temple. PN Jan 04

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