How God Shows You His Glory

from John chapter 12, verses 27 through 50,

John 12:27–50

through the end of chapter 12.

As we read God's word, remember,

this is God's very own word.

It's inspired, inerrant, infallible,

clear, and sufficient for his people.

John chapter 12, starting at verse 27.

John 12 · chapter mention

In the context, I'll refresh your memory,

is that some Greeks had come along,

and Jesus now tells them at the beginning of chapter 12,

the hour is here.

So the book of signs has come to a close,

and now it's the hour of his passion.

And in John chapter 12, verse 27, Jesus says,

John 12:27

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.

Father, glorify your name.

Then a voice came from heaven.

I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.

The crowd that stood there and heard it said

that it had thundered.

Others said, An angel has spoken to him.

Jesus answered,

The voice has come for your sake, not mine.

Now is the judgment of this world.

Now will the ruler of this world be cast out.

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth,

will draw all people to myself.

He said this to show by what kind of death

he was going to die.

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?

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.

While you have the light,

believe in the light,

that you may become sons of light.

When Jesus had said these things,

he departed and hid himself from them.

Though he had done so many signs before him,

they still did not believe in him,

so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah

might be fulfilled.

Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

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.

Isaiah said these things

because he saw his glory

and spoke of him.

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.

For they loved the glory that comes from man

more than the glory that comes from God.

And Jesus cried out and said,

Whoever believes in me

believes not in me,

but in him who sent me.

And whoever sees me

sees him who sent me.

I have come into this world as light,

so that whoever believes in me

may not remain in darkness.

If anyone hears my words

and does not keep them,

I do not judge him,

for I do not come to judge the world,

but to save the world.

The one who rejects me

and does not receive my words

has a judge.

The word that I have spoken

will judge him on the last day.

For I have not spoken on my own authority,

but the Father who sent me

has himself given me a commandment,

what to say and what to speak.

And I know that this commandment

is eternal life.

What I say, therefore,

I say as the Father has told me.

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Thanks be to God.

Indeed, you may be seated.

Would you pray with me?

Father, glorify your name.

Amen.

Oh God, show us your glory.

Amen.

Amen.

Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the last public sermon

that our Jesus preached.

God took on flesh.

He revealed the kingdom of heaven

and he preached his final sermon

in the public

to Greeks and to Gentiles alike.

And then he withdrew.

The next time the public would see Jesus

would be leading up to his crucifixion.

And look at verse 28.

John chapter 12, verse 28.

John 12:28

How does our Lord Jesus pray

before his final sermon?

What a great prayer.

Father, glorify thy name.

And that's his sermon.

His sermon, he shows you

how God brings glory to his name.

That's my message for you today.

I simply want to try to show you

five observations

about how Jesus,

the Son of God himself,

shows you the glory of God.

He wants you to see

the glory of God.

Could you ask for anything more?

Father?

Now let me make sure

we can relate to this a bit as well.

Father, glorify your name, Jesus says.

Well, all of us have a name.

You've got your first name

that you go by

and you've got your family name.

And if you overhear someone

speaking about your family name

or the name of one of your loved ones,

and especially if they're misrepresenting

the name of one of your loved ones,

you want to set the record straight,

don't you?

You want to reveal to them

and explain to them,

this is who that person is.

You just use their name.

This is what's true of them.

And that's what Jesus came to do.

His entire mission

was to reveal his Father,

to reveal God himself,

to reveal his family

in the name of God for you.

This seems to be always on his mind.

It's, I want these people to know God.

When his disciples ask him,

Lord, teach us to pray.

You remember how he started that prayer?

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

And how he prays right before his last sermon,

Father, glorify your name.

A.W. Tozer said this.

Listen to this quote

and decide if you think it's true.

What comes into our minds

when we think about God

is the most important thing about us.

What we think about God,

whatever comes into your mind,

that is the most important thing about you.

When you hear God's name,

what comes to mind?

Tozer said,

the most revealing thing about the church

is always her idea of God.

An orthodox catechism answers the question,

what does that mean?

Hallowed be your name.

When Jesus taught his disciples to pray,

what does that mean?

Listen to how our catechism defines it.

When you say,

hallowed be your name,

you're really saying,

God, help us to really know you,

to bless you,

to worship you,

to praise you for all your works,

for all that shines forth

from what you have done.

Your magnalia Dei,

your wondrous works.

They shine forth who you are,

your almighty power,

your wisdom,

your kindness,

your justice,

your mercy,

and your truth.

That's what it means

to glorify the name of God.

It's to unveil,

to reveal,

to magnify

who God truly is.

Jesus Christ,

God in the flesh,

he came to show

what no human mind

could make up,

which is the essence

of God himself.

Let's walk through these five.

Number one,

God shows you

his glory

in Christ's mission.

God shows you

his glory

in Christ's mission,

his entire mission.

You need to see

the glory of God

in what Jesus

came to accomplish.

Look at verse 27.

Now is my soul troubled,

Jesus says.

According to his human nature,

he's troubled.

There's a dread.

There's the horror

of what he will bear.

He will bear sin

that's alien to him.

And he will experience

the wrath of God

against the sin

that he is bearing.

And his soul is troubled.

But look at how he answers

his own feelings.

What shall I say

in verse 27?

Father,

save me

from this hour,

but for this cause,

for this purpose,

for this mission,

I have come

to this hour.

He is troubled

by the darkness

in front of him,

the darkness

of the hour

of his passion.

He's troubled.

But he's resolute

in the light

of eternity.

Bear this hour

and for eternity,

the name of God

will be known

to his creatures.

See,

the purpose,

he says,

for this purpose,

I came.

It's for this agreement,

this council of peace

that the Son came

to take on flesh,

to live as the second Adam

as Paul calls him

in Romans 5,

to merit

what all

under the curse of Adam

have demerited.

It's for this purpose

that he came

to fulfill

all righteousness,

to keep the law of God.

He puts himself

under the law

so that he can restore

and that he can earn

by his own merit,

not for himself.

He lacks nothing.

He would merit

our righteousness

and he would give you

that righteousness

but he also must pay

the penalty

for your sin.

He must die

on the cross.

It's for this purpose

that he has come

to this hour.

Verse 28,

he says,

Father,

glorify

thy name.

God's name

is all who God is.

It's the essence

of God.

That's what it means.

the name of God.

It's all of God's

attributes

in holy,

unified,

perfection.

Jeremiah Burroughs,

a Puritan pastor,

he said,

the name of God

is the shine

and luster

of all the attributes

together.

It's God's glory.

That's what it is.

And to say glorify

your name

means to shine

the light

of truth

on who God really is.

Push back

the darkness

and open the eyes

of those who are

in darkness

to behold

who God is.

I love how

one of our confessions

says,

who is God?

God is the creator

and sustainer

of everyone

and everything.

He is eternal,

infinite,

and unchangeable

in his power

and perfection,

goodness

and glory,

wisdom,

justice,

and truth.

Nothing happens

except through him

and by his will.

That's the name

of God

that Christ

came to glorify.

Now,

listen to the response

of God

to this prayer.

Jesus prays,

Father,

glorify your name.

Don't you just wish

you could be there

in Jerusalem

before Christ

will retreat

and experience this,

what happens

in verse 28?

A voice

came out

of the heavens.

I have glorified it.

See,

Christ's ministry

up to this point

already revealed God.

He already has glorified

his name

by the life of Christ,

his active obedience

even before the cross,

his incarnation,

his ministry,

his obedience,

the signs he's performed,

that's already magnified

God's true essence.

And the voice says,

I will glorify it again.

So also in his suffering,

supporting Jesus,

carrying him

through his sufferings,

through his death,

then raising him

from the dead

and setting the son

at God's own right hand,

that will glorify it again.

See,

God shows you

his glory

in all of Christ's mission,

his active

and passive obedience.

He was passive

in humbling himself

to take on the flesh

and he was active

in obeying

and on the cross

he was passive

to endure the wrath

of God

on the place

of sinners

but he was also

actively obeying

and trusting his father

even on the cross.

He was active

and passive

the whole way through

to reveal God

in his essence.

God is pure act,

pure,

holy,

undefiled

act

of obedience

and holiness.

Verse 29,

the crowd

that stood there,

see their reaction

gives us an insight

into what that would

have been like

to experience.

They heard it

and they said

it had thundered

and others said

an angel

has spoken to him.

One commentator

helped me to learn this

that the Jews

called this voice

that comes from heaven

proceeding from the midst

of another voice.

So that's why

some said

it's like thunder

but then it also

was like the voice

of an angel

coming out

from the thunder

and they understood

the distinct words

that were spoken.

It wasn't just

a natural phenomenon.

This was God

putting into

their language

affirming

the ministry

and the work

of his son.

See the father,

the son,

and the spirit

are totally united

in their activity.

They're revealing

themselves

through the son

by the power

of the spirit

teaching the hearts

and opening their hearts

to believe

and hear

and understand

and the voice

on behalf

of father,

son,

and spirit

calling out

and affirming

this is

who I am.

Look to Jesus.

It's the third time

that this has happened.

The first one

was Matthew 3.17

at the baptism

of Jesus

the voice

from heaven

said this is

my beloved son

with whom

I am well pleased.

So we can understand

this to be

the voice

of the father.

Matthew 17.6

says the same thing

but adds on to it.

This is at the

transfiguration.

Peter,

James,

and John

the eyewitness

of our fourth gospel.

At the transfiguration

they hear this voice

that says

this is my son

with whom

I am well pleased.

Now they get involved.

Listen to him.

And listen to how

they reacted,

those three disciples.

They fell

on their faces

terrified.

Now Jesus

clarifies

to the public

that's with him

in verse 30.

Jesus answered

as they're saying

was it thunder?

Was it a voice

of an angel?

What was it?

Jesus says

this voice has come

for your sake

not mine.

And I'm sure

it comforted him.

It's reassuring

for the person

of Jesus Christ

fully God

fully human

the hour

of his passion

to hear this voice.

But he's saying

that this is to

increase your faith

and for you to pay

attention

to what is happening.

This is the most

significant event

in all of human history

that's about

to take place.

This is to get

your attention

at what I am doing

Jesus says.

And I want you

to apply that

as well.

Jesus says

it's for your sake

that the God

has spoken.

It's for your sake

church as well.

Jesus was troubled

according to his

human nature.

He was troubled

by the weight of sin.

He could feel

the shadows deepen.

And he was troubled

according to his

human nature.

So when you are

troubled in this

present evil age

look to Christ's

resolute commission.

It's for this

very hour

that I have come

to save you.

And keep in mind

that he did that

to rescue your soul

to resurrect your body

one day

for eternity.

That's why he endured

that hour.

It's for eternity

so that you can be

with God.

So this voice from God

is for you Christian.

The voice of God

goes out.

It recreates.

And it creates

an awareness

in our soul

that only God

can fill.

It takes the darkness

of our soul

under the curse

of sin

and it speaks

life and light

into it.

That's how Paul

explains it to the church

in Corinth

in 2 Corinthians 4.6.

The same God

who said

let light shine

out of darkness

has shown

into our hearts

to give the light

of the knowledge

of the glory

of God

how?

In the face

of Jesus Christ.

Isn't that comforting

as well?

That if you believe

in Jesus

if you have beheld

the glory of God

in the face

of Jesus Christ

it's because

God's word

his life giving light

has shined

into your soul

and he has revealed

himself

to you.

He has shown you

who he is

by teaching you

to trust him

through Jesus Christ.

When a child

is troubled

maybe they're

having a nightmare

they need to hear

the voice

of their parent

they need to see

the face

of their family

one of their loved ones

and then they're

comforted again.

So when you are

troubled

hear the voice

of God

and behold

the face

of Jesus Christ.

That's the first one.

God shows you

his glory

in Christ's mission.

You see the glory

of God

in what Jesus

accomplished.

Number two

God shows you

his glory

in casting

down

Satan.

God shows you

his glory

in casting

down Satan.

See the glory

of God

in how Jesus

takes his throne

over this

fallen world.

Look at verse 31.

Now is the judgment

of this world

Jesus says.

In the Greek

it reads really cool

it says

this is the crisis

of the cosmos.

I thought about

titling the sermon

that but

it's really about

showing you

the glory of God.

But the crisis

of the cosmos

is what he says.

Matthew Henry

said

the world

thinks that it's

passing judgment

on Jesus

but the cross

passes judgment

on them.

For when they

reject the son

they reject

the father

who sent him.

Jesus says

now

is the judgment

of the world.

Cosmos

here's what's

wrong with you.

Here's what

here's what is

broken.

Here's what your

crisis

your judgment

is.

He's the doctor

giving this fallen

world the

prognosis.

Here's how

bad it is

for you

world.

He says

now

will the

prince

or the

ruler of

this world

be cast

down.

That's a

Jewish phrase

and it's

understood to

mean an

angel

and an

angel

associated

with death

and darkness.

Now

will the

prince

ruler

ruler

of this

world.

That's

Satan

himself.

Satan

will be

cast

down

Jesus

says.

Satan

needs to

be cast

down

because

that's

the

brokenness

of the

world.

The

world

is

subject

to

the

oppression

of the

enemy.

And

Jesus

says

I

come

as

the

good

shepherd

but

my

enemy

seeks

to

destroy.

So

Satan

has

great

sway

over this

world.

He

is

on

the

prowl

Peter

says

looking

for

who

he

can

devour.

And

Jesus

says

I'm

going

to

cast

down

this

prince

ruler

of

this

present

fallen

evil

age.

Why

is it

that so

many

after seeing

all these

signs

reject

Jesus?

See

they are

so

bound

by the

chains

of Satan.

They're

so

addicted

to their

own

disobedience.

They

have

yielded

voluntary

subjection

to

Satan

in this

world

for so

long.

They

are

his

prisoners.

Luke

Luke 22:53

22

verse

53

describes

it this

way.

This

hour

of

darkness

that

Jesus

says

he

will

reverse.

That's

why

when

Satan

is

cast

down

this

hour

of

Satan

having

full

reign

and

blinding

the

eyes

of

all

the

nations

is

coming

to

an

end.

Jesus

said

in

Mark

Mark 3:27

3

verse

27

that

God

himself

would be

entering

into the

strong

man's

house.

This

world is

like the

house of

Satan.

Satan

is the

strong

man.

And

Jesus

God

himself

in the

flesh

came

to

bind

him

and

then

to

plunder

Satan's

goods

out of

this

world.

We

sang

this

hymn

at

Christmas

time.

O

come

thou

rod

of

Jesse

free

thine

own

from

Satan's

tyranny

from

depths

of

hell

thy

people

save

and

give

them

victory

or

the

grave.

How

will

Jesus

do

this?

Because

this is

good news.

So far

he hasn't

lost

anyone.

He's

going

to

topple

over

the

oppressors

of

this

world.

He's

going

to

reverse

this

evil

power

structure

over

his

creation.

That's

good

news.

But

what

Jesus

says

next,

this is

the way

he'll

cast down

Satan.

This is

the way

many

cast

Jesus

aside.

Look at

verse 32.

This will

happen

when I

am lifted

up

from the

earth.

When I

am lifted

up.

And they

understand his

meaning by how

they react.

When Jesus

is lifted

up,

there's so

much in

that image.

So he

came from

heaven to

earth.

And he'll

be lifted

up in

his earthly

body on

the cross.

He will

be lifted

off the

earth,

suspended

in

midair

between

earth

and

heaven.

That's

the place

of the

mediator

between a

holy God

and sinful

man.

He will

be lifted

up on

the cross.

He will

descend

to hell

and he

will be

ascending.

He will

be raised

up to

the right

hand of

God the

Father

Almighty.

And from

there he

will come

to judge

the living

and the

dead.

he says

in verse

32,

I will

draw

all.

Remember

the Greeks

had come

and they

had come

to see

Jesus.

And he

says I

will draw

all,

not just

the Jews.

I will

be like

a magnet.

I will

pull people

from all

nations.

Like we

read in

Psalm 86

this morning.

When I

am lifted

up I

will draw

them to

myself.

In

verse

33 he

said this

to show

by what

kind of

death he

was going

to die.

It would

be by

the cross

that our

Lord Jesus

would defeat

the devil.

By his

work on

the cross

our Lord

Jesus

would cast

the devil

down.

It would

be by

the cross

Colossians

2.15

that Jesus

would spoil

the principalities

and the

powers

and make

a show

of them

openly

triumphing

over them

in the

cross.

God

so now

the nations

can believe

in Jesus

but hold

on we

know as a

church that

Satan still

seeks to

devour and

Satan is

still causing

destruction in

the world

and Satan

still hates

the church

and Satan

wants to

hunt down

your soul

still.

Well picture

Satan like

a hyena.

You can't

change the

nature of a

hyena but

the work of

Christ

his work

in his

life and

his death

on the

cross

it took

the teeth

and the

claws out

of that

hyena.

Satan is

still going

around like

a scavenger

in this

world but

for Christians

he is

powerless.

Death

has no

sting.

Satan

cannot

hurt

you if

you're

in Christ.

He has

been

cast down.

One day

he'll be

bound up

not allowed

to roam

around the

earth and

he'll be

tormented

in hell.

But that's

how we can

picture if

you're truly

in Christ

Satan to

you is

not something

to fear.

Now you

still don't

want to

mess around

or think

little of

your own

weakness.

Still a

predator

a creature

of prey

whose very

nature hates

God and

hates God's

people but

he has no

more power

over the

church by

the power

of Jesus

Christ.

So find

comfort in

that the

next time

that you

are facing

strong

temptation

and Satan

is accusing

you of

your sin

he's accusing

God to

you he's

accusing your

brothers and

sisters in

the church

to you

that's what

Satan loves

to do

and ask the

Lord to

sustain you

by his

power.

Satan has

no power

over you

and when

God gives

you victory

over temptation

when God

shows you

that's the

enemy lying

to you

you praise

God

you praise

God because

he has

defeated the

enemy he's

cast down

Satan and

that your

ability to

withstand the

sin and the

temptation

it's because

of his

work.

isn't that

great news

we get to

live in

this world

dark as

it is

and when

God does

give us

victory over

temptation

we're more

than conquerors

in Christ

we know it's

because he

has cast

down our

enemy.

Remember

2 Corinthians

4.4

the God

of this

world

that's

Satan

has blinded

the minds

of unbelievers

to keep

them from

seeing the

light of

the gospel

of the glory

of Christ

who is

the image

of God.

That's why we

church we

don't battle

against powers

against flesh

and blood

we do battle

against the

principalities

of darkness

and there's a

spiritual battle

going on

for your soul

and for our

loved ones.

Remember that

God has shown

you his glory

by casting

Satan down

that's how we

fight in this

battle.

Third observation

God shows you

his glory

in the light

of his word.

God shows you

his glory

in the light

of his word.

See how

the glory of

God

is reflected

and magnified

in the word

of God.

Remember how

John introduced

this entire

gospel

he said

in the beginning

was the

word

and the

word was

with God

the word

was God

all things

were created

through the

word of God

and God

shows you

his glory

in the light

of his word.

Verse 34

the crowd

answered him

we have heard

from the law

that the Christ

abides

forever.

Now

the crowds

were doing well

to search

their scriptures

to search

the word

of God

and they were

doing well

to say

we know

what to

expect

when the

Messiah

will come.

Where would

they have

gotten

this

understanding

of a

Messiah

who would

come

who would

abide

and rule

over them

forever?

Could have

been in

countless

places

I'll give

you three

Psalm

110

4

he will

be a

priest

forever

Psalm

45

6

your throne

is forever

and ever

so not only

will he be

a king

that rules

forever

he'll also

be a priest

that rules

forever.

Symbolically

or spiritually

Jerusalem

will be

the hub

in which

the kingly

office

and the

priestly

office

and the

prophetic

office

of

revelation

declaring

God's

word

will be

combined

in one

person.

Those offices

that are

anointed

in the

Old Testament

prophet

priest

and king

combined

and fulfilled

in one

Messiah

who will

abide

forever.

Listen to

the promise

of Daniel

Daniel 7:13

chapter 7

verses 13

and 14

this is so

rich.

Daniel wrote

behold

with the

clouds of

heaven

there came

one like

a son

of man

there's

the phrase

from John

12

he came

to the

ancient

of days

so one

like the

son of

man

the son

Jesus

Christ

God

in the

flesh

he came

before

the

ancient

of

days

that's

the

father

the

triune

God

represented

and the

son of

man

was presented

before him

before the

ancient

of days

to him

to the

son of

man

was given

dominion

and glory

and a

kingdom

that all

peoples

all nations

all languages

should serve

him

his dominion

is an

everlasting

dominion

and it

shall not

pass away

his kingdom

shall never

be destroyed

so they're

holding on to

what God's

word has

told them

about the

Messiah

and that's

why it

doesn't make

sense

that's why

they say

in verse

34

how can

you say

that the

son of

man must

be lifted

up

his kingdom

is supposed

to endure

forever

that's what

the word

of God

says

John

Gill

pointed out

how these

Judean

Old Testament

scholars

they were

confused

they believed

that there

maybe were

two Messiahs

one Messiah

would be

one who would

be like a

servant

who would

suffer

the other

Messiah

would conquer

and deliver

but maybe

it was two

different

Messiahs

so they

say which

Messiah

are you

which

son of

man

are you

because we

thought you

were going

to be the

one that

would conquer

and cast

down

Satan

but now

you're telling

us you're

the Messiah

that will

be lifted

up

and it's

the kind

of death

you're going

to die

so they're

confused

Jesus

Jesus answers

them

I am

the word

I am

the light

look at

verse 35

the light

is among

you for a

little while

longer

walk while

you have

the light

so which

Messiah

am I

I'm the

Messiah

you need

to obey

Jesus

says

lest the

darkness

overtake

you

walk in

the light

while you

have the

light

see the

Jewish nation

had Jesus

in the

flesh

soon Jesus

would be at

the right

hand of the

father and

by the

power of

the spirit

all the

nations

would be

getting the

revelation

they would

all be

invited into

his kingdom

but now

was the

time for

the Jews

to believe

to see

from the

word of

God

for

themselves

the glory

of the

father

in the

person

of Jesus

two

different

Messiah

the same

Messiah

through his

obedience

and suffering

as a

servant

he will

conquer

and reign

and rule

inaugurating

his

spiritual

kingdom

until it's

one day

consummated

verse 36

while you

have the

light

believe in

the light

that you

may become

sons

of light

you may

become

sons

of light

you're

either a

son of

darkness

you're a

son of

Satan

or you're

a son

of light

you're

an heir

with

Christ

Gil

you are

made

light

in the

Lord

don't you

want to

be a

son of

the

light

how

does

that

happen

this is

how you

are

made

a

son

of

the

light

it's

when

the

Holy

Spirit

enlightens

you

it's

when

the

Holy

Spirit

shines

the

light

of

God's

word

to

expose

your

sinfulness

your

impotence