This is the manuscript of the tenth sermon in the series "Responding to the Living Word".
John 12:32 NIV And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
You can watch a video recording of the entire service on the Christ Church YouTube Channel. https://youtu.be/hwQtMIPGPjU
Scripture Reading:
John 12:27-36 NIV “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. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?” Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
Introduction
Palm Sunday began with Jesus and His disciples traveling over the Mount of Olives. The Lord sent two disciples ahead into the village of Bethphage to find an animal to ride. They found the colt of a donkey, just as Jesus had said they would.
On that first Palm Sunday, the people also honored Jesus verbally:
Matthew 21:9 NIV The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
Text:
John 12:32 NIV And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
Never is the sadness of the journey to the cross more sensitively put than in John’s account of our Lord’s troubled soul as he approached Calvary. But he would not turn away. Here’s what Paul said about Jesus
Philippians 2:8 NIV And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
That obedience is shown in Jesus refusing even to pray for deliverance from dying but instead yielding in deep obedience to the purposes of God for that hour.
John 12:27 NIV “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.
What was the hope in Jesus’ heart that prepared him for this journey to death?
Jesus was going to the cross because he wanted more than life to bring all people everywhere to himself so that he might present them forgiven and redeemed to God the Father.
John 17:12, NIV While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
Let's be real. Not everyone would come to believe, but HE WOULD DIE FOR EVERYONE.
The appeal was to be universal. All people would feel the tug of his great love for them demonstrated at the cross on which he would be lifted up.
William Hull, an evangelist in the late 1900s and early 21st century wrote, “Judaism offered men a national shrine, the Temple, a racial circumcision, and the sectarian religious law” But Jesus offered himself—obedient, gracious, loving, dying—and in that sacrifice we are moved by the cross, drawn to his death, and released by his redemption into a life abundant and accepted, full and forgiven, rich and redeemed.
So here are four questions about what draws you to the crucified Christ?
Are you moved by the agony you see?
Are you moved by the love you see?
Are you moved by the forgiveness you see?
Are you moved to respond when you come to the cross?
I. Are you moved by the agony you see?
A. Physical agony seizes us when we consider the cross.
Jesus’ back torn to shreds by a flying whip, he was pressed down on a rough and splintery cross. His head, which was filled with visions of God’s love for humanity, was now surrounded by a mock crown of thorns that bit painfully into his scalp. Awful nails pierced his flesh and muscles and held him with waves of pain. As painful as the wounds were, the most desperate need was for breath. As he hung by his arms, no air could enter his lungs. So he pressed against the nails in his feet to lift himself and breathe. When he could stand that pain no longer, he fell against the cross. Then his weight was suspended by his arms, which were held by the nails in his hands. Just think about that physical pain, that agony.
B. Now, consider the spiritual agony Jesus endured at the cross that day.
Words can get much closer to describing the physical pain than they can to expressing the spiritual suffering Jesus went through. Jesus had never known sin in his own life; now he was covered with it.
2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Jesus, who had never known a moment’s isolation from the Father, cried out as recorded in
Mark 15:34 NIV And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
Who can explain for us the spiritual loneliness Jesus felt in that moment when our sin cut him off from the Father and the sacrifice for our sins was offered once and for all?
Romans 5:6-8 NIV You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
I am drawn to Jesus by the agony he suffered on the cross. How about you?
II. Are you moved by the love you see?
God has loved us with a love that holds nothing back.
John 3:16 NIV For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For our selfishness he prescribes a death to self and a sharing with others.
Matthew 16:24-25 NIV Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
For our cynicism he prescribes a rebirth of innocence and a new beginning in the new birth.
John 3:5-8 NIV Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
That new birth results in that person becoming brand new..
2 Corinthians 5:16-17 NIV So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Nothing gets through to us as love can. “A sinner may go to hell unsaved; but a sinner cannot go to hell unloved”. We are dealing with nothing less than the love of God here.
1 John 4:7-8 NIV Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
God is like an expert chef who makes a special dish in which a great many ingredients produce the desired flavor. The chef knows that the dish is not complete without a little pinch of spice. God's love is little pinch of spice that makes the dish, us, His children, complete.
Romans 5:6-8 NIV You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
I am drawn to Jesus by the love he showed to others in his dying on the cross. What about you?
III. Are you moved by the forgiveness you see?
The willingness to forgive is one of the clearest indicators of the Spirit of Christ residing in a person. To be sure, it is not easy to forgive, but the cross gives us our most powerful encouragement to forgive by the example our Lord gave us.
Luke records that Jesus begged the Father to forgive those who had taken him to the cross and mocked Him as He hung tihere.
Luke 23:32-34 NIV Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
In the moments of his greatest personal darkness, Jesus was eager to hear a man acknowledge his sins and assure him personally of the glory that was to be theirs together at the end of the day.
Luke 23:39-43 NIV One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
And John gives us that ultimate word of courage in Jesus' last words from the cross.
John 19:28-30 NIV Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
In these three words from the cross, “it is finished” we see a spirit that could not be defeated, a spirit that refused to retaliate in anger, or attempt to escape the task before he had completed it.
Jesus forgave those who nailed him to the cross. He pardoned and received the criminal on his right. His atoning death did not stop short of being adequate to forgive any person or sin. When he cried, “It is finished,” he had gone far enough to cover every sin in any person’s life.
There is a story of a young man and his wife who had come to church for several weeks. They invited the pastor to visit with them. The young man had never made a commitment to Jesus Christ, and he wanted to talk with the pastor about it. He was afraid God could not forgive him. Years before, as a teenager, he had shot his older brother in a fatal hunting accident. He had not been able to forgive himself, and he could not believe God would forgive him. Everyone said it was an accident, and he believed it to be an accident also. But still his brother was dead and he had shot him. He accepted the blame but could not let go of the guilt. The pastor shared with him the words of Jesus on the cross and urged him to see that if Jesus had died for every sin but his sin, God had made a terrible mistake and Jesus was misled when he called out, “It is finished.”
Jesus’ death is enough; God’s grace is sufficient. We can all be set free. No sin is more powerful than his forgiveness and no hurt can outlast his love. This young man heard the promise of God that night and experienced the cleansing and the relief that comes when we really hear in the deep places of our lives—forgiven, accepted, beloved, made new. And it is all because of the cross.
I am drawn to Jesus by the forgiveness I experience there at the cross. How about you?
IV. Are you moved to respond when you come to the cross?
This question for all of us but especially for those of you who have never surrendered to Jesus, who have never asked Him to forgive you of your sin and save you and give you the abundant life that He promised.
What response will you make to the cross? It is not enough to just consider the cross, not enough to just meditate on the cross, not enough to just believe in the historical reality of the death of Christ. Jesus calls you to another response and that is to walk in HIs light.
John 12:35-36 NIV Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
Be very careful so that the darkness doesn't overtake you. The darkness can be the fear of failure that prevents you from following him. The darkness can be misplaced priorities that turn you away from doing the one thing in your life that is most needful. The darkness can be a reluctance to trust, or bondage to pleasure and desires that are not compatible with obedience to Jesus.
Conclusion
Now I am talking directly and specifically to those who have never responded to the promise of eternal life offered by God through the cross.
Whatever stands between you and the response of faith in Jesus Christ, I call you to lay it aside, be drawn to the cross, and respond by walking with him while you have the light. His invitation to come, his drawing of your spirit, is God’s great gift to you. Will you respond to him?
Grace is one of the most astounding and life-transforming aspects of God’s character. From the beginning of time God has chosen to lavish grace upon us instead of wrath. Time and time again, we’ve turned our backs on him. And time and time again he demonstrates the depth of his desire for us through the giving of his boundless grace. In his grace we are afforded a life not only apart from his wrath, but lived in the glory of relationship with our Creator through the redemption of Jesus.
God doesn’t operate the way the world does. He doesn’t make you pay the penalty for your own sin. Instead, he offers perfect grace. In story after story in Scripture God turns the systems of the world on their head through the concept of grace. In the story of the prodigal son, the father allowed the son to dishonor him, set aside his rightful punishment, and threw a huge party for his wayward child returned home. He didn’t wait. He didn’t make him work for his redemption. He immediately offered him forgiveness freely in grace. God offers you the same today. Don’t attempt to pay for your own sin by separating yourself from the fullness of relationship with God. Jesus paid the only price necessary by his own death on the cross. Live in light of God’s grace. Offer your heart to God freely. Let him work out redemption in every area of your you might more fully experience the wonderful relationship you have available to you with God.
You can know with certainty that you will go to Heaven when you die. You can be ready for Christ’s return. You can enter into a relationship with the God in Heaven who loves you.
Simply say, “Lord Jesus, I know that I’m a sinner. I believe that You’re the Savior, and I ask You to forgive me my sin. I want to be ready for Your return. Come into my life, Jesus. I ask it in Your name,
When you do that what you are really doing is what it says in
Romans 10:9-10 NIV If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Amen.”
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