Irresistible Grace

What is your story of grace?

Appreciate some of the language that Jesse used describing his state before salvation

!

and then describing the irresistible work of God in his life.

To call him and to lead him into salvation.

What is your grace story today?

How would you describe the work of God in your life?

How would you describe what God has accomplished for you

in terms of leading you and bringing you to salvation?

You've heard Pastor Kenorrier say on numerous occasions,

he says,

I am not the hero of my story.

Perhaps no other passage in the Gospel of John brings that front and center

like the one that we'll look at today.

Not only have we sung about grace this morning,

but we've sung about Jesus being Lord.

The question for you today is,

is Jesus Lord for you?

Is Jesus King?

Is He sovereign?

Is He Lord for you today?

And how far does that Lordship go?

How much room do you give God to be God in your life?

And in salvation?

Oh, it is with tremendous fear and trepidation I come to this passage this morning.

We're in a series of verses that summarize the final words of Jesus

in the last moments of public ministry.

Feel the weight of this moment.

Feel the gravity of the things that Jesus will say.

How will He leave ministry?

How will He exit His public ministry?

What will He leave these people in Jerusalem with?

People He's wept for.

People He's ministered to.

People He has taught on a regular basis.

People who we will see today continue to turn their back on Him in unbelief.

What will He say to them?

And what will the Gospel writer's commentary be

about the ministry of Jesus that ended up with so many in unbelief?

Is this really a testimony to what Jesse described in the video

as irresistible grace?

And if it's irresistible, how is it that so many have walked away from grace?

And this morning, as this passage lands on us,

as the words of Jesus weigh down on us,

the question for us this morning is,

what will you do with God's irresistible grace?

How will you respond to grace today?

There is grace.

Immense, eternal, lavish grace available to you.

What will you do with grace?

John chapter 12 is where we are this morning.

John 12 · chapter mention

If you're visiting with us this morning,

grab a pew Bible.

We're on page 899.

John chapter 12.

John 12 · chapter mention

This morning is challenging,

not only because of the content,

but because of so many individuals

that we would love and respect

who disagree about what we're going to talk about today.

So that it has been perhaps one of the most divisive

truths and doctrines in all of church history.

And we're going to talk about it this morning.

Thank you, Pastor Knoyer.

There is perhaps nothing

in the Gospel of John

that we will read

that will confront us

with the sovereignty of God

more than this truth

that we will look at this morning.

And if you thought this week was bad,

come back next week.

It will continue.

It will continue to shake us

to the core.

It will demolish

your self-sufficiency.

And it will put God

on the throne of your life

if you embrace this truth.

That's what we want.

Is it not what we want

to put Jesus

on the throne of our life?

As we spoke about last week,

the whole purpose

of the cross

was to exalt

the glory of God,

to let Jesus

and let God the Father

make known

His identity to the world,

the fullness of all who He is,

His mercy,

and yet His justice,

His purity,

and yet His forgiveness,

His enduring patience,

and yet His wrath

that comes on sin,

His love for the sinner,

and yet His hatred towards sin,

His wrath against it,

He will judge it.

All of those things

come into view

on the cross.

His eternality,

and yet His subjection

to frailty,

His sovereignty

and glory,

and yet His immense

eternal humility.

the masterpiece

of the portrait of God

is being written

across the page,

across the canvas,

through this text today,

and through our text last week.

The cross stands

for Christ

and His glory.

What will we do

with the cross?

How will we respond

to God's amazing grace?

John chapter 12.

John 12 · chapter mention

Picking up from last week

in verse 32,

it will kind of set

the text,

the context for us

as we move

into the troubling waters

of verses 37 to 41.

What does the work

of the cross accomplish

in verse 32?

Jesus says,

And I,

when I am lifted up

from the earth,

will draw all people

to Myself.

And then in 37,

we find the contrast.

Though He had done

so many signs before them,

they still did not believe.

So that the words

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.

I want to speak

this morning

about irresistible grace.

We find on the cross

that God wins.

He is victorious

in every way.

He wins.

But in our text today,

we find two sides

of the same coin.

In verse 32,

we find,

first of all,

the recipients

of grace.

There are those

who receive

the grace of God.

There are those

who partake

in fellowship

with God.

There are those

who can rejoice

in the work of God

in their life.

Are you a recipient

of God's grace today?

Oh, I pray

that you are.

And if not,

that by the end

of this message,

you will decide,

you will become

one of those recipients.

Well, who are

these recipients

of grace?

Who are they

after all?

Matter of fact,

Jesus,

here in His words,

these final words

to the public people

there in Jerusalem,

says that He will

draw all people

to Himself.

Who are these

all people?

And what kind

of drawing

will He do?

Are these

all men

universally?

Is that what

it's referring to?

Is it referring

to the world

and its entire

population?

Well, it's going

to require us

to look at

some words.

We need to look

at some words

in this text

and also look

at some words

and how they're used

throughout the

Gospel of John.

John, I have

found in my

own study

that the best

answer to the

tough questions

that I will

raise about

a particular

passage can

actually be found

within the book.

As the Gospel

writer, and

particularly John,

I'll tell you

what, this guy

keeps coming back

over and over

and over again.

These same themes

he keeps churning

through so that

his audience will

understand and not

miss the point.

What does it

mean to draw?

Well, this word

is used predominantly

in the Gospel

of John, in a

spattering of

times in other

parts of the

New Testament.

It's also used

in the book of

Acts and in the

book of James.

But it means

specifically to

pull in, to

draw in, to

haul in, to

lead by force.

John 6.44

gives us a

clear witness to

how Jesus

intended this

term to be

understood.

John 6.44

says this,

No one can

come to me

unless the

Father who

sent me

draws him.

And I will

raise him up

at the last

day.

It's also

used in

narrative

sections.

And as

this group

of disciples

is with

Jesus there

in the

Garden of

Gethsemane.

And remember

what takes

place, this

crowd comes

and Peter

thinks he's

going to

help Jesus

out a little

bit, decides

to draw his

sword and he

cuts off the

ear of

Malchus.

That same

word for

drawing the

sword that

Peter does

in the

Garden of

Gethsemane

in John

John 18:10

chapter 18

verse 10

is this

same word

here.

Later on

once Jesus

is resurrected

we find that

there's a

haul of fish

that is

collected and

Jesus is on

the shore.

Peter jumps

out of the

boat and

swims the

shore,

greets

Jesus,

but then he

realizes that

his buddies

are still out

in the boat

and they need

some help.

So Peter

in John

21.11

climbs aboard

that boat

and drags

the net

ashore and

it was full

of large

fish.

It's used

in the

book of

Acts.

Acts

Acts 16:19

chapter 16

verse 19

says,

when the

owners of

the slave

girl realized

that their

hope for

making money

was gone,

they seized

Paul and

Silas and

dragged them

into the

marketplace to

face the

authorities.

there is a

sense in

which the

dragging that

is done by

God is a

dragging that

is done by

force.

Jesus says,

I will draw

all men to

myself.

This is the

language that

Jesus uses in

John and

John chapter

John 10 · chapter mention

10 to talk

about salvation.

He talks about

himself as the

good shepherd.

He talks about

himself as

bringing in

the sheep.

Jesus was not

interested in

just gaining

attention.

He wasn't

interested in

being the

rock star of

the first

century.

He was about

saving lost

souls.

He came to

seek and to

save the

lost.

Perhaps the

best passage

which gives us

a corollary to

what Jesus is

talking about

here is in

John chapter

John 3:14

3 verse

14 and

15.

Just jot it

down and let

me read this

for you.

It says,

As Moses lifted

up the serpent

in the wilderness,

even so must

the Son of Man

be lifted up.

That should

sound familiar.

In John

John 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12,

Jesus says,

When I am

lifted up,

I will draw

all men to

myself.

In John

John 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3,

he says,

As Moses

lifted up the

serpent,

he says in

verse 15,

that whoever

believes in

him should

not perish

but have

eternal life.

The mission

of God

in being

raised up

was to

draw men

to himself

in terms

of salvation.

Now we're

faced with

some big

questions.

That little

neat package

of doctrine

and theology

that maybe

you have

built for

yourself

begins to

get unraveled

a bit.

Because in

answering this

question,

now it just

raises many,

many more

that we're

not going to

be able to

address in

totality this

morning.

But hopefully

through the

course of

our time

together,

just to

continue to

raise for

us this

question,

Is

Jesus

Lord?

throughout

Jesus'

ministry,

even moving

past the

unmistakable

testimony of

the resurrection,

once Jesus

raises from

the dead,

there are

still unbelieving

individuals.

And here,

in our passage

today, we

find in

verse 37,

though he

had done

so many

signs before

him,

they still

did not

believe.

And looking

around in

this world,

we can

see neighbors

and coworkers

and maybe

even family

members who

have yet to

bow the

knee in

worship,

in faith

to God.

No, Jesus

is not talking

about calling

men, all

men to

salvation

universally.

So what

other options

do we have?

Well, perhaps

he is speaking

about all men

representatively,

that he will

save and rescue

men from

all over

the world,

every tribe

and tongue

and nation,

not just the

Jews specifically,

but he'll save

the world

representatively,

people who

are Jews

and Gentiles

alike.

And certainly,

we find this

throughout the

Gospel of John,

we find this

open invitation

of Jesus

to the masses.

Fifteen times,

Jesus makes

the statement

in the Gospel

of John,

whoever believes,

in the Gospel,

I think I've

jotted them

for you in

your notes

so that you

can reflect

on those

later.

But just by

way of

whetting your

appetite,

John 3.15

says,

whoever believes

in him

will have

eternal life.

John 3.18,

whoever believes

in him is not

condemned.

In John 5.24,

whoever hears

my word and

believes in him

who sent me

has eternal

life.

In John 6.40,

everyone who

looks on the

Son and

believes in him

should have

eternal life.

And in 6.47,

whoever believes

has eternal

life.

Certainly,

there is

openness

to the Gospel.

It's not just

for the Jews.

It's not just

for the covenant

community,

those who are

descendants of

Abraham.

It is for the

larger population.

Jesus refers

to this in

John 10.16

when he says,

and I have

other sheep

that are not

of this fold,

speaking of

the Jewish

flock.

I must bring

them also,

and they will

listen to my

voice,

so there will

be one flock

and one shepherd.

Even here,

at the end of

Jesus' public

ministry,

he beckons

to those

who he

believe.

Next week,

as we look

at these later

verses in

John 12,

we see

Jesus repeating

these same

things in

verse 46

and 47.

He says,

I have come

into the world

as light,

so that whoever

believes in me

may not remain

in darkness.

There is

a wide

appeal,

a wide

proclamation,

a crying

out,

requesting

that there

be entrance

into the

Gospel.

people.

But even

this is not

the complete

answer.

Jesus isn't

just talking

about a

representative

group of

individuals.

I believe

that Jesus

is speaking

of men

exclusively,

all men

exclusively.

There will

be an

irresistible

nature to

God's grace.

God leaves

nothing to

chance.

the cross

spells

victory

and triumph

and it

shows up

even here

in drawing

men to

himself,

those whom

he intends

to save.

Well,

how do we

support that?

Well,

in our

text this

morning in

verse 32,

it says,

the ESV

translates it

this way,

will draw

all people

to

myself.

The word

people is

not there

in the

original

language.

It's,

I will

draw all

to myself.

Well,

who is

the all?

How does

John define

all?

Well,

it's all

who believe.

That's

certainly

true.

But do we

get any

help throughout

the rest of

the Gospel

to know how

John defines

this group

of individuals

that he

calls the

all?

Well,

in John

6,

37,

he gives

us some

help.

Keep your

finger in

John chapter

John 12 · chapter mention

12.

It's worth

turning to

John chapter

John 6 · chapter mention

6 so you

can underline

and go back

to these

verses.

John

John 6:37

chapter 6,

verse 37.

Let's back

up to 35.

Jesus says,

I am the

bread of

life.

Whoever

comes to

me shall

not hunger.

Whoever

believes in

me shall

never thirst.

But I

said to

you that

you have

seen me

and yet

do not

believe.

How is

that possible?

Verse

37,

all that

the Father

gives me

will come

to me.

and whoever

comes to

me I

will never

cast out.

Dropping

down a

couple of

verses to

verse 39.

And this

is the

will of

him who

sent me

that I

should

lose

nothing

of all

that he

has given

to me

but raise

it up

on the

last day.

Jumping

down to

verse

44.

No

one

can

come

to

me

unless

the

Father

who

sent

me

draws

him

and I

will

raise

him

up

on

the

last

day.

Verse

65.

And he

said,

this is

why I

told you

that no

one

can

come

to

me

unless

it

is

granted

by

him

by

the

Father.

Verse

66,

and this

many of

his

disciples

turned

back

and no

longer

walked

with

him.

So

Jesus

said to

the

twelve,

do you

want to

go

too?

Simon

Peter

answered,

Lord,

to whom

shall

we

go?

You

have

the

words

of

eternal

life

and

we

have

believed

and

come

to

know

that

you

are

the

holy

one

of

God.

Throughout

the

gospel

of

John

and

if we

were to

work

our

way

into

John

John 10 · chapter mention

chapter

10

we'd

see

the

same

kinds

of

things

where

Jesus

says

I

am

the

good

shepherd

the

good

shepherd

will

get

his

sheep

they

will

come

they

hear

my

voice

they

know

my

voice

and

they

have

been

given

to

me

by

my

father

they

will

be

my

sheep

I

will

accomplish

my

work

I

will

lose

none

of

those

for

whom

God

has

given

to

me

what a

wonderful

and

perplexing

truth

oh the

questions that

rise to the

surface as a

result

of this

reality

can they

not respond

why would

God

not call

everyone

universally

if he has

the power

to do

that

are

they

not

responsible

if God

is the

one

who

has

governed

this

process

through

his

sovereignty

and how

can God

judge

those

who

seemingly

have

no

hope

in the

mind

of God

these

truths

do not

compete

in the

mind

of

mortality

in the

mind

of

our

finite

limited

scope

we can't

begin

to put

together

the

tension

that is

created

by

the

fact

that

God

is

sovereign

and yet

we

are

responsible

and yet

in the

mind

of God

there is

nothing

that

competes

with

this

truth

so we've

seen

positively

the call

of God's

grace

on the

hearts

of those

who

believe

but in

verses

37

to 41

we find

the flip

side of

the coin

we find

not

the

recipients

of

grace

but here

we find

the

rivals

of

grace

we find

the

enemies

of

grace

we find

the

opponents

of

grace

and in

spite of

the lavish

goodness

of God

in spite

of all

of the

evidence

in spite

of all

the

proof

that

Jesus

laid

before

them

they

still

reject

they

reject

first

of all

the

miracles

of

Christ

we

find

that

here

in

verse

37

though

he

had

done

so

many

signs

before

them

they

still

did

not

believe

we've

heard

the

the

the

quote

seeing

is

believing

for

these

Jews

in

Jerusalem

seeing

was

not

believing

it was

not

adequate

it was

not

enough

and as

we move

through this

text we'll

find there

was a

reason

for

that

there

is a

divine

reason

for

rejection

they

did

not

believe

it

says

although

they

had

the

enduring

patient

overwhelming

testimony

of God

Jesus

Christ

God

in the

flesh

there

before

them

the

present

fleshly

mortal

impersonation

of God

himself

standing

in their

midst

and yet

they

still

did not

believe

truth

you can

tell

that

John

is

wrestling

with

this

truth

at

the

beginning

of

his

gospel

he

writes

in

John

1

11

and

12

he

says

he

came

to

his

own

and

his

own

did

not

receive

him

and

here

at

the

end

of

Jesus

public

ministry

we

find

the

outworking

of

that

very

truth

he

came

to

his

own

he

came

with

power

he

came

with

working

and

signs

and

wonders

and yet

they

still

did

not

believe

they

did

not

believe

with

all the

evidence

in front

of

them

they

did

not

recognize

the

glory

of

God

working

through

Christ

the

word

believe

occurs

at least

98

times

through

the

gospel

of

John

and

67

times

up to

this

point

in chapter

12

it's

almost

breathtaking

at this

point

to hear

the

words

they

did

not

believe

in

light

of

all

of

the

testimony

of

those

who

have

gone

before

and

who

did

believe

his

disciples

who

believed

in

chapter

2

many

who

saw

the

signs

and

believed

in

chapter

2

23

the

Samaritans

who

believed

in

chapter

4

the

many

more

who

believed

because

of his

words

in

chapter

4

41

those

who

believed

who

had

signs

and

wonders

performed

for

them

throughout

the

testimony

of

Jesus'

time

in

Jerusalem

Jesus

unmistakably

shows up

through the

testimony

of

Lazarus'

resurrection

it was

so

unmistakable

that

here

at

the

beginning

of

chapter

12

we

see

that

there

are

plans

to

put

Lazarus

to

death

to

death

because

too

many

people

were

believing

in

the

sign

verse

11

of

chapter

12

backing

up to

verse

10

so

the

chief

priest

made

plans

to

put

Lazarus

to

death

because

on

account

of

him

many

of

the

Jews

were

going

away

and

believing

in

Jesus

they

had

unmistakable

testimony

of

God

showing

up

in

Christ

and

yet

they

did

not

believe

what

will

it

take

this

morning

for

you

to

believe

in

Christ

what

will

it

take

this

morning

for

you

to

bend

to

the

irresistible

grace

the

work

of

God

in

your

life

what

will

it

take

this

morning

to

see

the

glory

of

Christ

and

to

bow

in

worship

to

him

they

rejected

Christ

but

not

just

in

the

face

of

his

miracles

they

rejected

Christ

in

the

face

of

his

message

we

find

that

next

verse

38

says

so

that

the

words

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

here

in

this

famous

passage

taken

from

Isaiah

Isaiah 53 · chapter mention

chapter

53

talks

about

the

suffering

servant

that

will

come

the

suffering

servant

that

will

come

to

bring

salvation

as we

find in

Isaiah

Isaiah 52 · chapter mention

chapter

52

!

His

testimony

in

coming

will

be

with

words

and

Jesus

throughout

his

final

week

of

ministry

we

find

him

teaching

he

is

actively

teaching

the

people

so

that

in

Mark

Mark 11 · chapter mention

chapter

11

we

find

that

the

chief

priests

and

scribes

heard

that

what

Jesus

had

done

in

cleansing

the

temple

they

were

seeking

a

way

to

destroy

him

for

they

feared

him

because

all

the

crowd

was

astonished

at

his

teaching

and

when

evening

came

Jesus

and

his

disciples

went

out

of

the

city

we

find

the

same

testimony

in

Luke

Luke's

account

in

Luke

Luke 19 · chapter mention

chapter

19

it

says

and

he

was

teaching

in

the

temple

day

by

day

and

people

were

hanging

on

his

every

word

in

Luke

Luke 20 · chapter mention

chapter

20

one

day

Jesus

was

teaching

in

the

temple

and

preaching

the

gospel

and

he's

challenged

by

the

chief

priests

and

the

scribes

who

say

by

what

authority

are

you

doing

these

things

and

in

Luke

Luke 21 · chapter mention

chapter

21

37