Well, I invite you to turn this morning to the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John, chapter 12, which is found on page 1144 in your Bibles. As we're taking a break from our study in the book of Acts, and today we're looking in the Gospel of John, just one brief report that we've been considering the witness of Jesus and being able to talk and witness, and I've learned so much going through the book of Acts about witness, it's been extremely helpful for me. This week I was able to sit with a man for two hours who has become an atheist, has lived a hard life in a gang, and we were able to talk about many things, his anger toward God, his hatred toward God. And it was really fascinating in the course of the conversation that as we talked, I was able to present the gospel to him, but everything was the past and how angry he was that God would ever have left us in this mess and not fixed it when he could have and these sort of things and of course he has no answers and so I thought to myself last week well I need to kind of practice what I preached last week and talk about the resurrection let's see if that works and you know what I said to him I said you know you're stuck in the past but you do realize God has given a solution and I said imagine a world a new heavens and a new earth with no more gangs with no more racial division with no more fighting do you know why this will be? and I was able to explain to him the cross it was as soon as I mentioned the resurrection the only time in the conversation beside every other word being the F word the only time in the conversation he lit up he says if that's true i could get on board with something like that see this is what people need they need hope they need an answer they don't have anything worked out amidst all of their anger and frustration i said to him so here's your here's your life you're going through life angry you have no answers you're angry with god and you have no solution to any of this and here i'm offering you a solution the hope of the resurrection pray for him that the lord would work in his life but this is the kind of thing that i thought today we need to realize the beauty as we've been considering witness of what is here this particular request of the gentiles to see jesus and i wanted to consider that as we come to the table this morning as we have a proper and right disposition but also to realize that it is the reason that we're here is because the Lord is taking his saving power and message to the ends of the earth we're going to pick up verse 16 of John chapter 12 let's give our attention to his word it's right after the triumphal entry in verse 16 his disciples did not understand these things at first but when Jesus was glorified then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they had heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, you see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world is gone after him. Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some greeks so these came to philip who was from bethseda in galilee and asked him sir we wish to see jesus philip went and told andrew andrew and philip went and told jesus and jesus answered them the hour has come for the son of man to be glorified truly truly i say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me, and where I am there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. 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, this 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 this that the son of man must be lifted up who is the son of man so jesus said to them the light is among you for a little while longer walk while you have the light less 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 the light. Let's close there in the reading of God's Word. We have gathered here this morning to come and to worship Jesus. And I wonder if we think about how special of a privilege this really is that has been given to us to be here this morning and to come to the feet of our blessed savior today of course he has done something very gracious for us he has spread a table before us and he invites us to come at his table and to dine with him to think about that that we will feed and that we will be spiritually strengthened and renewed in his covenant of grace and all of his promises as we meet with him as by his spirit that gap is bridged to heaven so that we eat by faith the crucified body and shed blood of Christ. But I want you to think this morning about this particular kind of access that you have been given. This is something that is remarkable in every way we today know that we want to see and have great respect for all the Hollywood stars of this world. So we all want to have some kind of recognition by them, and we all want to have some kind of recognition. We put posters up in our rooms of our favorite people, and if we could only meet them and shake their hands and take a picture with them, that would give us the greatest amount of happiness, wouldn't it? We could see these people and talk to these people who are so great in the world. Well, you know that I have consistently challenged us as to our attitude and our disposition in coming to the worship of Jesus? When we come here and why we're here and what motivates us to be here? When he spreads a table for us to think about these things, why are we here? What if this morning I presented to you a passage where Jesus said no to a people just like us who wanted to come and see him? Have you ever even thought if that's possible? Imagine if this were so, just for a moment. I want you to think about this scenario and this predicament where Jesus actually would say no. I pray today that as we think through this passage and see what's shown to us in this beautiful passage, that it would promote in us and inspire in us understanding of the great privilege that we have and that it would all the more lead us in true faith to him and understand the blessing of who we're meeting with and to treasure this great time of worship and coming to his table. The public ministry here of our Lord is where we are and John chapter 12 is a very important chapter in the course of Jesus' ministry, particularly in this book and gospel of John because his public ministry is coming to an end already in chapter 12. Jesus had and will make very clear in this passage that he is the light and because he is the light that is walking among them, that he is the light that has been with them and has walked among them and given them a great light in this world, that that light is only going to be here for a little while longer. So while Jesus is preached, while Jesus is heard, while Jesus is seen, he was calling people to believe in the light, to receive the light that had come among them to walk in that light to follow that light and that's what i i want to explore here for a moment with you this is the scene christ has just entered jerusalem and the multitudes have laid down palm branches at his feet you know this scene well we love to celebrate this scene but we also know that this was a fickle mob that really hadn't come to believe in him it fulfilled the the peoples had fulfilled the scriptures in coming to recognize who he is they fulfilled psalm 118 it was written in the scriptures that this would happen and the disciples understood this but it's right after this that jesus be uh really does bring an end uh to his public ministry among the jews and something very powerful begins to happen right before this end and it comes in verse 19 that precipitates it and that brings it about as the pharisees are watching all of these multitudes of the people laying palm branches down saying hosanna they're looking around and they're seeing that it is full of gentiles they are furious of course at this and as soon as they see this a very important statement is made in verse 19 where they say in anger the world is gone after him look at this the world is gone after him it's in conjunction with this very judgmental angry hypocritical attitude of the pharisees looking around at these gentile styles coming that we have really what i believe is such a spectacular and great moment in the ministry of jesus that all at at this very moment a bunch of Greeks approach the disciples of Jesus and say something very important. You'll notice here in verse 20, now there were certain Greeks among those who came to worship at the feast. Certain Greeks. And in that connection, you'll notice there that they came to Philip. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, listen to this, sir, we wish to see Jesus. It's this grand moment in the Gospels. It's a spectacular moment in the Gospels. It's a powerful plea because, of course, during the Passover in Jerusalem, the city would swell with all kinds of peoples who were coming in to partake of the festivities and the worship that was going on there. And what's remarkable about it is that, of course, there were many of what were known as proselytes to Judaism and many who were coming up who had come to believe in the God of Israel. But remember, they could only go as far as the court of the Gentiles. They were kept out by a series of steps and a series of courts. They were at the very bottom. And the news of Jesus is spreading. Who is this? And people are starting to really wonder, is this the Messiah? They're starting some to believe it. And as they only could come to the court of the Gentiles, as they have been outsiders in Israel, they're hearing about Jesus. They know that the multitudes had come and spread down palm branches at his feet. They want to see Jesus, not just what he looks like. But they want to hear about His salvation. They want to hear His message. They want to hear what He is saying. Can you put yourself here for a moment? You're not a Jew. Nobody here is of Israelite blood. Here's the Jewish Messiah. Here's the Messiah of Israel who's come. I want to see Him. I want to come to Him. I want to talk with him. Put yourself here. So they come to Philip from Bethsaida. Sir, we want to see Jesus. Can they? Can they just see Jesus? Philip hears this and he goes and he tells Andrew, hey, all these Greeks are coming to me and they want to see Jesus. So you can hear the debate. I don't know if we should let him. We've seen in the course of his public ministry how he's responded to the Gentile. We remember the story of the Syrophoenician woman. We remember that he said that salvation is only for the children of Israel except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel I was sent. That's really his disposition to these people. I'm not so sure we should. Well, maybe we should ask him. Well, what's interesting about it is, if you look down in verse 36, at the very end of this section, and you come to verse 36, and you see there, he says, walk in the light while you believe in the light, that you may become sons of the light. Look at the next verse. When Jesus said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. He left them. He didn't let them succumb. This is a remarkable moment because really, if you're looking at what happened here in the immediate moment, you kind of have to draw the conclusion that he said no. This is a little challenging for American Christianity, isn't it? Jesus of American Christianity never refuses anyone. I mean that. Have you ever heard Jesus say, no, we've never heard it. We've never felt it. And I wonder about the consequences of that. We've never heard him say no. It makes us cringe to think that he might say no. You know he does? Some of us just expect that Jesus should receive us. That we should come just as we are. And it would be unimaginable to think Jesus may not receive us. do you know it's quite possible? Maybe you've been in this church your whole life and you've been baptized in it and you've been raised in it and really, you still have not seen Jesus even though you think you have. It's kind of distressing, isn't it? There's nothing in this text that leads me to believe that they saw Jesus that day. they were kept away you see why i asked this morning uh a little bit what what uh care did you take in coming here what value did you place on coming here what what privilege do you think it is to come here if you look at the beginning of the chapter it's a remarkable thing because the beginning of the chapter is really highlighted by one figure who came and with great tears she comes and she breaks an alabaster flask and dumps oil on his head and everyone's criticizing her and And Jesus says, we know from the Gospel of Matthew and elsewhere, Jesus says, look at her. This is what I'm after. This is the one who sees me. What she has done will be told as a memorial to her every time the Gospel is preached. This woman, what was it? She saw him. But how many people had walked with him and never saw him? the big question mark for me is, is can they? Why not? You know, I said this before, but on this pulpit over here is this plaque. Where is it? That's somewhere. And it says, we didn't take that down yet, did we? It's here it is, right here. Sir, show me just Jesus. I don't know the history of that. I don't know how it got here, but here it sits right here on this pulpit, this verse, John 12. And when I was a seminary intern and I stood behind this pulpit one time and I was sitting back here, hope you guys, none of you remember that. It was a bad sermon. But I remember sitting here looking at this and thinking, that is wonderful. Who put that there? Whose idea was that? So that when I went up to Lyndon, right before I left, I said, I have one request. I want you to make a plaque. And I want it bolted to the pew. so you inspired it here that it would go up in linden and on that pulpit up there it says sir show us this jesus it's quite a moment isn't it uh here that we have this this great passage showing it uh really raising this particular issue but it pressed me this week because i kept thinking to myself we treat christianity and church and coming as such a take it or leave it thing. We believe that it's simply, of course, our choice, and we approach Jesus' day thinking that it's all about us receiving Him as if Jesus is the one on His hands and knees begging us just to come. And I have to ask the question, has He received us? Yes, we're called. As many as received Him, has He received us? It would be unthinkable for us that He might not. And because of that, A lot of apathy follows in the church. We just don't want to be convenience. You know, John Calvin chided his congregation one time saying they enjoy breakfast more than the testimony of their salvation. Breakfast. Aren't we more interested if we're honest in vacations, in our homes, and our money than wanting to see Jesus? What if the Lord hid Himself from you today? i don't understand this text it's a remarkable thing that what we have here is the jews not believing and all of a sudden the greeks are coming but why had they come what did these greeks understand the jews of course have encircled him in a bitter unbelieving complaining way with these outsiders who are now breaking in and they're furious about it. And even though the triumphal entry was awesome and even though he had raised Lazarus, they're still complaining against him. But the question is, is why now? Why are these Greeks coming? What was he to them? Was he a hero? We know that many of them were in the crowd were just marveling at his great power. Why had they come to Jesus? What did they think this was about? Why did they think he needed him? and it's at this moment that we come to the heart of this particular passage where he says something so beautiful upon that very question upon receiving this question he says to Andrew there and Philip he says my hour has come wow the hour has come that the son of man should be glorified most assuredly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it remains alone truly truly falls into the earth and dies it remains alone but if it dies it bears much fruit what is he doing what does that mean well it's an answer isn't it it's most certainly an answer Jesus was saying something like this. If I have come to do my own will, if I have just come to be a hero for people, I will stand alone in that reason for people. It profits nobody at all if they come to me and they think, that's why I've come. Nobody. But as you know from agriculture, that nothing grows unless you put something into the ground and it has a death-like experience. And then when it shoots up, it blossoms, it spreads. Meaning, for anyone to have access, I have to die. I have to die. Because no one will ever see God apart from my death. Jesus was saying this everywhere in John 8. When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am. That had a loaded history. And after he died, they said, this was truly the Son of God. Who are they approaching? Why had they come? You see, we continue to ask that. Why did you come to see Jesus today? the question follows who did you come to see what did you come to see a man who can make your life better something that will make you feel better about yourself being a good person somebody who will cure all your woes did you come to be entertained because that's how most people come today did you come to be entertained are you entertained did you come to a man who can fulfill your dreams. I heard a pastor just pray that. God is waiting and wants to fulfill his dreams for you. What is this? Sir, we want to see Jesus. It was in his turning away that he answered. Jesus had to go to the judgment now. Now it had come. The hour has come for me to die because apart from my cross there will never be a spiritual harvest apart from my death there will never be any fruit apart from my death no one will ever see me do you hear what he said if i don't die no one saved and i still stand in marvel today that in the basic message of christianity people still people still can't give this testimony and people don't even understand why he needed to die if there's ever going to be a harvest of souls i have to go into the ground him, die. He's answered them. But I stood back from this and said, this is where as a pastor you're always struggling. How many times have we said it? How many ways do we say it? And it's one of those things that I'm positive the text never wants us to walk away from the text saying, well, I know that he has to die. I know that he has to die. This is what you keep saying every week. This is what you keep saying all the time. Is the death of Jesus some abstract thing? You know how hard this was for him? You know what went on in him at this moment? Right after this question, do you know what he began to face for you? He blurts out, my soul right now is exceedingly troubled. What shall I say? Father, Father, save me from this hour. For this purpose, though, I've come forth. Father, glorify your name. It's a prayer that is giving us a real insight into what is going on in our Savior, in His mind. As soon as He said, the hour has come. As soon as He said that, the wrath of God right then and there began to fall on Him. In His soul. This is when Luke records that great drops of blood start to go. I have a baptism to be baptized with and I'm distressed until it is accomplished. Can you imagine living like this? The whole time you exist, you know you have to go to the cursed cross. You're being betrayed. Your hour now begins. Right now, you've been saying it. How many times have we dreaded something coming and we just don't want to face it? He has been dreading this the whole time, but He steps up to it. He's now under the law becoming the curse. He's facing the extreme wrath of God on his soul. He says it. My soul is thrown right now into intense agitation. I'm deeply disturbed. The beginnings and the horrors of the cross are upon Him. Save me, Father. Father, is there any other way for me to be saved from what is about to happen? If there's any other way, if it is so in accordance with your will, if there's any other way, but if it means that you will not be glorified and I lose this harvest, then Lord, I go. May I go in obedience. I know this is why You sent me. This is why I came to save those whom You love. I came so that not one of My sheep would ever perish. Not one. Your sheep. I pray that I would be completely obedient to your will even to the death on the cross. You see what just happened? Jesus answered the Greeks. Jesus answered Philip and Andrew. There's only one way. There's always only ever been one way. And unless people come this way, there's no salvation. Why the cross? Look at our mess. It's just remarkable to me that in our day and time, people still think the human heart's good. Ultimately, humanity has enough hope in itself to prevail. Look at our mess. Look what you do. Look what you're capable of. Look what's found out all the time that's being done in secret. Look at the idolatry. Look at the rebellion. Look at the hatred. You know how serious of an issue this is. But the best part comes out. As soon as he prayed, as soon as he said this, everyone was standing there and a voice breaks out from heaven and says, as he prayed this, So beautiful, I have glorified it. And I will glorify it again. His name. What does that mean? It means that everything that Jesus has done already in the course of His life, He's perfectly fulfilling the will of God. And the Father just said, you will go to that cross. And I will raise you up. And everyone panics. What was that? Thunder, angels. Jesus says that was for you. That was for you. I came to save those whom you love, O Father. I will not let one of your sheep perish. I pray that I would be obedient to this will, even to the intense agony of the death of the cross, so that your name would be glorified and all of those given to me by you would be saved. but jesus just answered the greeks he just answered philip and andrew to make clear if they're going to have access this is the only way and when we see this and we understand this then we understand what he's calling us to is not the kind of thing that the pharisees have been saying this bitter critical spirit to him and his worship and his church it's gotta go now is the judgment said jesus of this world now the ruler of this world will be cast out verse 32 and if i'm lifted up from the earth i'll draw all peoples to myself this he said signifying by what death he would die i'm going to the cross and i'll be raised up and that means judgment day has come and that means that when i'm raised up the judgment day begins and i will at that time be saving a multitude of greeks and jews together to the ends of the earth and they will come none of those given to me by my father will be cast out all of those who come i'll never cast away he said i think this is the important point this morning as we come to the table and as we think about these things if you've come to believe in jesus as a savior from your sins and you have with joy looked on your savior and understood him and know him and see why he came and in faith believe these precious promises i want you to know this morning you need to know in all confidence he receives you at his table and you get to enjoy him this morning you see him this morning what this pulpit says you enjoy him you feed on him you get his life flowing into you but i think this passage is also a warning isn't it jesus says in verse 25 anyone who loves their life will lose it and anyone while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life whoever serves me must follow me where i am my servant also will be my father will honor the one who serves me and the specific warning comes as he's calling people if you're gonna if i'm gonna die then that means you're gonna die to yourself and you're gonna be raised new which means you're gonna follow and that's gonna be a wonderful joyful thing to come after your lord but he says in verse 35 as the warning to the Jews, which becomes something important for us. Walk while you have the light. Lest darkness overtake you. He who walks in darkness does not know where he's going. While you have the light, believe in the light that you may become sons of the light. In many ways for the Jews as a nation they had this light only for a few more hours. And this light would go out to the Gentiles. This light has come to you today that that's what you enjoy today this light has come to you today in the kingdom preached and the gospel announced and the giving of the sacrament and the thing that is important here to see is they heard the will of god but what is the sad story of the jews to this day you want to know what it is look at the nation there's no light there i'm not talking about pockets of believers i'm talking about that nation sits in complete darkness and we shouldn't do as they one day all the games will stop why'd you come why are you here don't reject the light boys and girls come to the light believe him adults come to the light old and young together come to the light and his gospel call to you is while you have the light believe him realizing he is your savior and realize he's given you a rest and a place at his table that him rising triumphant over the grave you here today who come with believing hearts is evidence that the judgment has come and it's evident that he's drawing all peoples to himself. Sir, we wish to see Jesus. See him then. See him right here. See him. Enjoy him. Enjoy the fellowship of the body. Enjoy the fellowship of the communion. Enjoy him as you're called to do. This is what he's calling you to. Receive everything that he did for you so that today you might live in the joy of this comfort. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank You for such a glorious, glorious message and a glorious feast that we don't deserve. You are faithful and Your love has been demonstrated and shown to us. But it takes a great work of Your Spirit to overcome the hardness of the human heart. Would You do that today? Would the game stop? Would we come and stop making excuses? Would we come and believe? Would You shatter the hardest of heart, the skeptic? the atheist, the unbeliever, or even, if there would be here, anyone who's grown up in the church whose heart is like the Pharisee, which we're all prone to, would you shatter it today? Would you soften it? And would we see our Savior? Be merciful, O God. Help us in the day of salvation for the light was just made known to us and it only will be here a short while. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Thank you.