LONG LIVE THE KING!



John 12:31, 32  Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.  But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”

Let there be no talk of Satan gaining victories.  Let there be no fear that he is still the ruler of this earth.  He was once the prince of this world but he has been defeated!  He has been driven out and there is a new King and his name is Jesus. 

And how was Satan driven out?  Jesus drove him out by going to the cross and dying.  By doing that he drew men to himself and established his own kingdom!

Yes, there are still those who refuse to recognize his reign.  There are still those who prefer to serve the old prince.  But they cannot, by their rebellion, raise their master to the throne of this world again!  Christ is King!

It is for us to live our lives in such a way that his name will be made famous!  It is for us to actively give him praise and glory!  It is for us, the citizens of his kingdom, to spread the good news that all who obey him will be saved!

GLORIFY YOUR NAME!

John 12:27, 28   ²⁷ “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name!”  Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”

Let’s consider our attitudes toward hardship and suffering.  Does the anticipation or existence of troubles cause me to want to rebel against God and turn in another direction?

When Abram encountered famine in Canaan he stopped calling upon the name of the Lord, changed direction, left Canaan, and without seeking God’s guidance, went down to Egypt where he encountered more trouble and bought more future problems than he ever could have imagined!  When there is hardship in my life do I change direction?  Do I move away from God?  Do I immediately call upon God to deliver me from my trouble?  Do I simply assume it is God’s responsibility and his will to deliver me?

In John 12 Jesus shows how his followers are supposed to deal with suffering.  His heart is troubled.  He knows what awaits him there in Jerusalem.  It is impossible for a human being to identify with the battle in which Jesus was engaged.  Yet he says, “What shall I say?  Father, save me from this hour?  No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.  Father, glorify your name.”

Jesus walked so closely with his Father that he knew exactly why he had come to Jerusalem.  He was able to trust his Father and be confident that the Father’s hand was upon him.  He was able to see that his suffering was not something that happened to him apart from God’s providence.  Instead, it was God’s providence and the purpose of this painful providence was to bring glory to God!

May this be our prayer at all times:  “Father, glorify your name!”  This is one prayer we can be sure God will answer affirmatively.

UPSIDE DOWN KINGDOM



John 12 shows how upside down the kingdom of heaven is compared to our world.  The values of the kingdom fly in the face of the values people in our world hold.

John 12:23, 24.  “Jesus replied, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.  But if it dies, it produces many seeds.’”  Jesus says the time has arrived for him to be glorified.  He is speaking of what?  His crucifixion!  In the eyes of our world crucifixion is the farthest thing from glorification.  But Jesus points out the principle of the seed dying and producing a multitude of seeds.  This multitude of seeds will bring glory to him and make his name famous.  The multitude of seeds will spread around the world and Jesus will be glorified!

John 12:25.  “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”  What does our world believe about happiness?  That a man becomes happy when he saves his money, makes wise investments, and takes good care of himself so he can enjoy his wealth.  Jesus bluntly says such a man will lose his life while the man who puts no value in such things and gladly spends his life for the kingdom is the one who reaps abundant life.  Pretty upside down, isn’t it?

John 12:26.  “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant will also be.  My Father will honor the one who serves me.”  What do you think it means to “believe” in Jesus?  The biblical concept of belief is lost on our society.  It has come to mean that one merely believes Jesus existed on the earth and gave us good teachings to live by.  One can “believe” in Jesus and hope for heaven without changing or doing anything more than saying, “I believe in Jesus.”  But what does Jesus say here?  Belief entails service and those who serve, follow!  There is commitment here!  We become servants of Jesus and we follow in his footsteps wherever they might lead whatever it might cost!

A MODEL OF PRAYER

John 11

            Lazarus was sick.  Very sick.  He was so dangerously sick that his sisters, Martha and Mary, decided they needed to send for Jesus.  “Lord, the one you love is sick.”  It strikes me that what Martha and Mary are doing is praying!  Lazarus was very sick (verse 1) so they sent word to Jesus (verse 3).  It seems like a natural thing for them, to send word to Jesus.  They trust Jesus.  Mary loved Jesus (she would wipe his feet with her hair).  The loved him so they send word to Jesus.  They wanted him to know their brother was dangerously ill.  They expected Jesus to do something.  This is prayer.  There is a need.  There is trust and love for Jesus.  Jesus is able to do whatever needs to be done.  So we send word to Jesus.  Is this anything other than a model of prayer?

            Jesus receives the message from the sisters.  He announces to his disciples that Lazarus’ illness “will not end in death.”  The natural thing to think is that Lazarus will not die.  But that’s not what Jesus says.  He says it will not end in death and we know the end of the story; it does not end in death because Jesus raises Lazarus from the grave to life.  So, in fact, this ends in life though death!

            Jesus also point out that what is happening to Lazarus is intended to bring glory to God by bringing glory to Jesus.

            What happens to Lazarus is a picture of the life of every Christian who has died.  Their lives do not end in death.  Rather, although their bodies have died their souls have been released to live with God.  Life through death!

            Also, our suffering is intended to bring glory to God.  God does not let us suffer because he doesn’t care.  He intends for our suffering to result in his glory.  We need to find how God can be glorified through our trials and suffering.  Our testimony in the midst of hardship can bring glory to God.

            Jesus loved this family (verse 5) yet he did not immediately come to their aid.  He waited two more days (verse 6) during which time Lazarus died.  The sisters surely thought their prayers had gone unanswered.  They must have been very disappointed.  They must have expected Jesus to hurry to Bethany and heal their brother.  But Jesus did not come and Lazarus died.  For them, this was a sorrow and their brother was gone.  How were they to know Jesus intended to come and do far more than they ever could have imagined?

            Is it not this way with us as well?  We pray for something and do not receive it.  How do we respond?  We didn’t get that which we requested.  God said, “No!”  But we must be aware that God intends something much better for us!  Something greater than what we asked for!