Well, today we're, as I said, concluding really the first part, the first book of the Gospel of John really is two books, two grand books, two volumes, if you will. And so we're having summary statements that are given to us that are very important today. And chapter one concludes what is known as the Book of Signs, the Book of Signs, the first section here, the first book. The second book is the Book of Glory, where it's really a study of the last week of the ministry of our Lord. And we're going to look at that with some detail. But this morning, we're concluding with verses 35 to the end of the chapter. I'm going to back up and read at verse 30. Yeah, verse 35 we'll begin with and read to verse 50. This is the word of the Lord. 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's 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 them, there it is, book of signs, they still did not believe in him. So that the words spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled. Lord, whose believed are what we 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 love 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 the 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 did 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 his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father. has told me and there ends the reading of god's word what we have uh in front of us this morning is one of the most uh crucial sections in the gospel john so far in our study of this important gospel because it really does as i said close out the first section of the book i think you uh heard reading that um how we've come to some sort of conclusion here already that John is really pressing down on us and how we should look at the things that we have studied and interpret the things that we have studied so far. The second half of the book that will begin next week is really a study in the last week of his life and the Passion Week as we call it. And we'll look at the washing of the disciples' feet next time. But this is significant because what we have in this particular section is a close of the ministry to national Israel it's really an important section to consider it's not pretty it's not pretty it has a two-fold purpose of course as we as we look at this and think about this one of those purposes is a divine response to the fact of what was presented at the beginning of John's gospel he came to his own and his own did not receive him and that plan was already embedded there but as many who did receive him he gave them the right to become sons of of god so we have this problem that was there that was there uh as we read and heard in that last section there that even though he did all of this in front of them it was plainly evident who he was and what he did they still did not believe in him he's talking about israel talking about the nation of israel and that they did not receive their messiah that's that's the emphasis here given in chapter 12 So the purpose then, and we're starting to see the grand purpose here, as the Gentiles came last time, the purpose here is that he is fulfilling the ministry of Isaiah. That's a very important point this morning. Jesus is fulfilling the ministry of Isaiah, and this is tough for us as Americans, as a prophet of judgment. As a prophet of judgment. But that the end of this section, which is so remarkable, the dual purpose of this, it doesn't end on that note for us, does it? It ends on a very striking, powerful note that actually God, the Father, had given the Son a command. And that command was, isn't this beautiful, eternal life. That that is why Jesus came. That Jesus ultimately came to give eternal life, Fulfilling, of course, the design that we studied back in John chapter 3, that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. That whoever believes in him should not perish, but have that eternal life. That's the command the Father gave the Son to give to us. So this is an important section that we learn today from the nation of Israel a lot. Because last time when you put this together, we saw the Gentiles beginning to ask to come into the kingdom. That was not just coincidence. It's unveiling for us the ultimate plan that we're receiving and that we're enjoying right now as we've come together. We are the Greeks. We are the Gentiles. We are those who were begging to come in the kingdom. And here we're going to look at how that all plays out. So the purpose then of today is that we would learn from the nation of Israel. Paul at least told us to do that, didn't he? Under inspiration of the Spirit. Don't do what Israel did. Because in the New Covenant, people can still do what Israel did. And so the unbelief that we see here and the bad fruit is something that we should learn from. This is how the apostle told us to look at this. And I believe it ends again, as I said, with one of the most encouraging sections in the Gospel of John to encourage that Jesus came to give eternal life. So we're going to look at this, break this down pretty simply this morning that I have here, the first point being the last call that Jesus gives. It is last call. You'll notice that language beginning in verse 35. And then you have the prophetic response that Jesus, that John gives us to help us understand what is happening, and then the better conclusion that this ends with so that we would understand what we are a part of and understand how great the new covenant has been and what the Lord has done for us. Let's begin here with this last call. And this is a big moment in the Gospel of John. Jesus has left the temple. He has been teaching there. This is Tuesday of the Passion Week. In correlating the events with the other Gospels, this is Matthew 24 already. We've already reached Matthew 24 by the time we get to John chapter 12. He walks away from the temple and he goes away with his disciples and he sits down on the Mount of Olives and he declares that Jerusalem and that temple and not one stone will be left there upon another. So it's a big moment here as we see how John is treating this particular section. And John is giving us Jesus' different slant, different view of this particular moment in the ministry of Jesus. The scene then is Tuesday. They are the last words Jesus gives to the Jews in public, to the nation of Israel in public. In other words, not even on the cross would he speak publicly like this. This is it. These are the last words. The public does not even appear again until we hear them chanting, crucify him, crucify him. So Tuesday afternoon, here we are. Jesus is leaving the temple. They will see him no more. And so in verse 35 and 36, 36 of even the previous chapter, we read that Jesus spoke and departed and was hidden from them. That is stated again here in verse 36, such an important thing that is said. It is over. What were Jesus' last words to the peoples before the cross? I think that's a big question. In a sense, it's the last sermon they heard from him. If you knew that this was the very last sermon you would ever hear today, It would be a pretty important sermon, wouldn't it? Would you hear it differently? Would you kind of say, yeah, I better listen up. I haven't been listening. Would you take all the more seriously if you actually knew this was it from the mouth of Jesus to you while he walked on this earth? I think it's a big moment. How would I listen differently and what would I hear and what would God want me to hear? Well, that's this. That's exactly where we are in this particular section of John. In verse 35, it's Jesus' last call to the nation. A little while longer, listen to this, the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. He who walks in darkness does not know where he's going. Well, there's proof everywhere, isn't it? I mean, look at the world right now. Does anyone know where they're going? Does anyone know what's happening? Does anyone know the future? Does anyone have any answers? And the answer is absolutely not. It is massive darkness that has fallen on the land. While you have the light, believe in the light. That you may become sons of light. now what christ is saying here is really important um judgment day and he's looking to the cross jesus viewed the cross as a judgment day the greatest judgment day in history preceding the final judgment to come that's what jesus just said in john chapter 12 now is the judgment of the world now the ruler of this world will be cast down and when i am lifted up through the cross, ultimately then to the heights in the heavens on the session, on the throne of God, then I will draw all the nations of the earth to myself. So he viewed this cross event as a judgment. A judgment he was taking. But that meant a lot for his claims. And that's what's so sad today. We're in a post-Christian culture. I've never felt in these years as a minister that I've never felt the hostility like I'm feeling right now on just the way that the world is viewing Christianity, the way that the world is viewing the church, the way that it's responding. I've told you, this is the first time in Abounding Grace that we're getting vicious responses. Vicious responses. What fools you are to believe this crap, they say. And that's a nice thing. It's vicious. And this is an important moment that I want you to know what Jesus is saying here. This stuff's not going to always go on. There is an end point to this. That should encourage us. It really should encourage us that all the hostility, all the anger, all the hatred, all the violence against the kingdom of God, and who knows what we'll continue to see, there is an end point to this. It's a big point in this passage. And I believe that in itself, while it's sad and brings tears to our eyes, it also is an encouragement. You will not have to endure this forever. It's part of the sufferings of this present age. But it's important to hear the power of this call of Jesus at this particular moment, at the end and last sermon, last call. This is his call that he's culminated in giving. Come to me, all of you who are weary, and I will give you rest. It's a gracious gospel call, isn't it? come. It's his final plea. The language of walk in the light means come to me right now. I am the light. I lighten everyone's path in this darkness to believe in me and to trust in me as your righteousness. I am the light of this world, he said, remember? He took the I am statements, the great I am, and he said, I am the light. That's me. You must come to me. Along the way, we've seen many who have the woman at the well wasn't there there was nicodemus who we'll see even more definitively coming up at the end of john but we've already seen it when he healed the multitudes we saw people who responded one of the most beautiful studies in the gospels is to look at the response of people coming to the light and how it utterly lit up their world changed them forever it's the new birth john's been talking about that god by his spirit gives light and life to the heart. I'm thankful today to look out at a church in a world that hates this, of a people who love the light, who come to the light, who believe the light, who understand and live in the joy of this comfort and have been set free. I mean, it's so wonderful that the Lord would do this, and you've known. You know what it is. When Jesus said to Nicodemus, you must be born again having the eyes of your hearts enlightened to know the truth this is exactly what's happened that's a beautiful thing don't don't underestimate the great work the lord has done in your lives who believe the gospel and look to the savior that is a great wonderful miracle if you will that has happened of the holy spirit regenerating hearts and bringing you into the light i can't rehearse how humbling that is to see that as a pastor in god's people but but we're not quite there yet in terms of coming to this final section of of john we have to walk a little bit through what was the problem in israel there were many who had walked with christ there were many who had seen the signs there were many who received a certain kind of illumination seeing his miracles, hearing his words, they were given a lot, weren't they? From the mouth of God, many things did they see. And many things for many years had the nation of Israel seen and witnessed. This is a culmination of it all. This was the generation where it all went down. Think of all that you study from the Exodus. Think of all that they had from their fathers. Think of all that they had in the scriptures. Think of all that they were given. The glory, the adoption, the covenants, the giving of the law. What didn't they receive? And John is saying, they did not come. They did not come. We've seen rage and hatred for Jesus. How many times have they picked up stones to stone him? They hated his message. They hated everything he stood for, even when a resurrection had happened in front of their eyes. It didn't matter. Which shows us the human heart as we've been studying. What Israel teaches us, what Israel teaches us is one of the things that is going to happen at the end is the removal of the light. I don't know if we think enough about this. His spirit will not always strive with man. Did you know that? That's Noah. There's an end to all this. It's coming. There will be a time when all this stops. There will be a time when you no longer gather like this in this world. There will be a point at which the light goes out. That's quite a thought, huh? Wouldn't it be something today if God turned out the sun? Nobody would know where they're going. If you've ever been in complete blackness, it's scary. That's all God has to do. It's over. It's over. When Jesus has been proclaimed in this world for how many years? How many centuries? In the beginning of time, his arms have been outstretched all day long to people. Come. And the job of the pastor is to do that. Whether they come or not, come. come believe that's where we are in the gospel of John we've come to the end of it for this nation and the light goes out on the Jewish nation on the national Israel as Jesus goes to the cross and remember what Paul said of the consequences of this to this very day a veil lies on their heart so that they can't see Jesus to this very day if you don't believe me tell me what is the nation of Israel what's its state today It's a sort of memorial for unbelief. If we looked at the woman Mary who was a memorial of belief, Israel is a study in the consequences of unbelief. We could talk about what might happen at the very end and what the Lord might do. And there's been debates about a Romans 11. But that's how we're supposed to see it. We think this is just always going to go on. And we have the attitude of Noah, of God's patience. And look, things will always go on as they always have from the beginning. Nothing will ever change. And I want you to be remindful of this very truth, as Peter said, that the end of that world happened too, the end of the first world, and now there's going to be an end of this one. You're going to see, for the first time in our lives, I think, as we go through many times, many struggles in this present age, I think for the first time in our lives, we're going to start really feeling the pressure of this. And as Christianity is hated more, we're going to have to take stands where we really have never had to take much of a stand for our faith in this life and in this world because it's been so good. You're going to finally start losing stuff. And you're going to understand how important something like this is, how important the calls are, and why we're here and what we're doing, and why the mission of the church is so important. I'm going to have to be thinking a lot more about these things and as the church goes forward in a changing post-Christian culture and the violence that it might get of how we are to behave as people of God and what our purpose is knowing that this day is soon coming. But I think it's important to say God is not continuing this forever and that the power of this, what's being really emphasized in this is the command here to come today to the light. That's the call that really comes out of this, that there's a permanent blackout coming. And that's why I think it's important to remember that the cross itself depicts the final judgment. Remember that when Jesus hung on the cross, darkness fell on the land. Everything about the cross is really showing us the very end of the world. There's a judgment day. Darkness fell and then graves were opened, a resurrection. There was darkness, judgment, resurrection. It's the same thing that's coming in our day. Darkness, judgment, resurrection. The question is whether you're in Jesus for that judgment or not. And the problem that keeps coming out here is unbelief. I want you to notice the problem in verse 42 here. Nevertheless, this is a remarkable statement in John 12, verse 42. It's one to sort of stop and just ponder for a minute. Nevertheless, John 12, 42. 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. some people were not hostile to Jesus. Some people were open to Jesus. They actually looked at these things and concluded he's true. How could we deny that? But there are some people in the kingdom, as we see here, who believe these things and still will not come because they won't count the cost. In other words, they are more interested in losing influence and status and money and occupation and not willing to really suffer the cause of this. And so at the threat of that loss, they are still not willing to truly come. There's this principle for everyone in old communist Russia. They called it a certain principle of giving outward appearance to something. Outward appearance while inwardly dissenting from it. It's an interesting principle that I was reading about of really playing a role. That's exactly what's happened here. That the best that came out of Israel were many who played a role. They played a role of refusing. Inwardly, they knew it was true, but outwardly, they wouldn't confess him. I think that leads us to the most important moment in John. here to understand something. We come to a moment that's rather stunning. Why ultimately didn't they come? Why ultimately? This is hard for us. This is a really hard moment. Thinking of preaching this and the challenge of this, the summary of his public teaching is given in 37. I want you to look at it. It explains for us what happened, why it happened, and then it gives the consequences of it and that's what we see there notice it when jesus had said these things he departed and hid himself from them though now listen to this he had done so many signs before them they still did not believe in him so that the word of the prophet isaiah might be fulfilled lord who has believed what we he heard from us and to whom is the arm of the lord been revealed therefore they could not believe what's the conclusions that are drawn here for again isaiah said he's blinded their eyes and hearted their hearts lest they should 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 what an important section to consider today i was out of isaiah 53 we're going to look at tonight which he spoke he was led as a lamb to the slaughter who has taken up taken the report of the words of Christ to the heart, the word of God to the heart, revealing his son. Who has taken that to heart? Who's looked upon his arm? Who's considered his son? Who's believed? It was taken from Isaiah 6, you'll notice here, verse 39. Therefore they could not believe. They did not believe so that, listen to this, the prophecy of Isaiah would be fulfilled. Therefore they could not believe. And then he cites Isaiah 6. Isaiah 6 was the courtroom scene, remember? Holy, holy, holy. And the Lord says, who shall we send? And after the Lord touched Isaiah's lips, Isaiah says, send me, I'll go. I'll go tell Israel to come, to come to the Lord, to come and believe. And remember what the Lord said? Go tell this people. Keep on hearing, but do not understand. Keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the heart of this people dull and their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and return and be healed. And I said, how long, Lord? Here's the end. Here's the culmination of it. Jesus is fulfilling this. It's hard for us as Americans. What we see here is he's a prophet of judgment. He's not just merciful. He's also a prophet of judgment. He blinded their eyes. The word for hardened is a medical word, which means to make thick the skin on the arteries. He clogged the arteries of their hearts. You say, that's hard for me. I don't understand that. I don't get that. Notice the sequence. They didn't believe. They didn't believe of their own free will. You have a free will. You have a free will within your nature. A fallen nature only chooses what is of that nature. They chose rejection. They chose to hate him. They could not choose him because they're dead. We know that. That's the problem of the fall. But notice that the divine response to unbelief was this, the culmination here, that God judicially hardened them. You are studying right now divine judgment on a nation. Understand that. You're studying divine judgment on a nation, what it looks like. On a nation in the Old Covenant that the Lord had given these laws to. This is something I think that we shouldn't pass over so quickly in the New Covenant era. Listen to this statement by Paul in Thessalonians. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and lying wonders and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing. Because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved. Listen to that. Therefore, God sends them a strong delusion so that they may believe what is false in order that they may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. This can happen today. All these calls, all these calls, all these calls. That's why I say, take the calls of Jesus seriously, take his worship seriously and receive that word and believe that word. Because the consequence of the deception that's coming will be, you will believe that lie if you play fast and loose with it. There's a proper way to understand this, that as Romans 1 says, so we don't fall into hyper-Calvinism. God gives people what they want. He turns people over to what they want. I think it's been important when we did our canon study and Dr. Godfrey did it. Nobody, he said, is ever denied Christ who really wants Christ. Nobody has ever denied Jesus who really wants Jesus. Those who are denied heaven are those who never wanted of their own choice the Son of God. I don't find in the Bible anyone who came to Jesus with a broken and contrite heart and saw their sins and came to him for life that he ever cast out. Where do you find it? You don't find it. But I do see those judge who refuse to listen and who refuse to hear and who their whole life refuse to worship and made every excuse under the sun to fall at the feet of Christ. There are consequences to unbelief. And this is what the section says. Jesus says, you only have a little while longer. While it's time, O Israel, Believe the light while you have the light. Come today. He's doing it again. Come. Come now. Believe right now, he's saying. Now, I knew this would be a hard first end to John. First book. This would be a tough one. I think the intention is that we're supposed to feel the judgment of this. We're supposed to feel how ugly it is. We're supposed to feel the pain of this and say, that's just awful. That is just awful. And that leads us to the final conclusion point here. If the text stopped here, I would be distressed because I'm no better than these people. I don't have a better heart than Israel. I know I'm no better than Israel. What if God had left this all up to us? Scary thought. You're a believer today. Why did that happen? Why did that happen? You've come to believe the gospel. You're a believer today. How did that happen? Why did that happen? You've trusted the Lord. You believed his promises. You believe, contrary to all this world that thinks this stuff's rubbish and crazy, you believe in a resurrection from the dead. You believe in a Savior that God sent, who's truly God and truly man who came to die for us and save us from our sins, which we know it's true. We believe in the assessment of our lives. How did you get all that? What did you do? That's what God did. It's not coincidental that in this last section, somebody came up. A group of people came up and asked for something. The Greeks came. Can we come in? Can we come in the kingdom? Will you let us in? Can we see Jesus, please? Jesus says, yes. When I die, I'll bring you. I'll drag you to me. Remember that word? When I'm lifted up from the earth, I will drag every people, all peoples of this earth to myself. Whoa, that's overwhelming because that's just not one nation. That's every nation of the earth, he just said. I'm going to drag everyone of all different types of people to me. I'm glad to read this because what the Bible tells me is all this was fulfilling a plan. God, if God did not harden Israel's heart, how would the scriptures be fulfilled? And if this had not happened, in other words, I can only understand this and see the goodness of God and the purpose in all of this hardening in that he went to put his son on a cross. Why would he do that? If it was only to do judgment for everyone. He did this so that the gospel, the plan from the beginning, promised Abraham that all the nations of the earth would be blessed. And that he would bring the nations to himself, to his feet. I see the love of God for this world in his death, in Christ's death. And that's why John gives us the summary of everything we've studied today so far in these 12 chapters. This is so beautiful. Then Jesus cried out. I can't even imagine what this sounded like. Cried out, he who believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. We'll look at that in John 14 and unpack that more. He who sees me, sees him who sent me. I've come as light into the world that whoever believes in me should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears my words and does not believe I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects me and does not receive my words has that which judges. There's already a judge in place. It's already proclaimed it. It's his word he's spoken, he says. That will be the judge on the last day. The word has spoken. For I've not spoken on my own authority, but the father who sent me gave me a command. What I should say and what I should speak. This is the happiest verse in John after all that. here's what the father told me to do gave me a commandment to fulfill you know what that commandment is eternal life for you Gentiles Greeks it's for you to the ends of the earth all who believe Jew and Gentile no longer narrowly found in this little nation of the earth but broken out to the ends of the earth. Part one concludes, book one concludes so beautifully. God told me what to say and God told me what to speak and he gave me a command and that's God's command. And what do you hear in that? The plan is perfectly being fulfilled. It's what Paul said in Romans 9, that through their hardening, salvation has come to the Gentiles and that's what Jesus came to do is to open the door of heaven to you. It was always a plan. It was always the plan. Let that set in today. It's open to you. It can't be taken from you. That's why I came. The Father gave me this command to save to the ends of the earth. He's preached to us, hasn't he? He's preached a long time to us. He's preached a beautiful message of hope to us, a beautiful message of grace to us. I know as a pastor, my job is not a ministry of condemnation. My job is a ministry of righteousness by the Spirit to deliver the message of the Son to you. A God who's for you. A God who loves you so much that he gave his Son and put him on a cross. A God who took on everything for you and suffered the judgment day that you deserve back in AD 30 in the month of Nisan at about the sixth hour of the day when he said it's finished and the full wrath of God was poured out upon him in body and in soul for you. I get to preach that. You know how long I've been preaching it? I'm kind of tired already. It's been 17 years. Maybe the Lord will give me another 17. Maybe he'll give me a long time. I don't know. There'll be somebody else who's preaching it as long as this world goes on. And all day long, he extends his arms out to you, doesn't he? All day long, he gives you the same calls. And in the new covenant, the Holy Spirit's given to you so that with renewed and born again, saved hearts, you receive it. This is too good to be true. I want you to know there's a day this all ends. There's a day this all stops. It would be wrong for me not to ask to everyone here, maybe some of our young people, maybe some who have yet to really come and believe this, have you still not come to the light, walk in the light? Tell me how all your walking in darkness is going. How are the drugs? How's the alcohol? The drunkenness? How's the pornography? How's all that misery going? It's darkness. And you know it's darkness. And it wants to destroy you. It wants to destroy you. And the light is right in front of you. Come to me. Come to me, says Jesus. I'll forgive you. I'll wash you, I'll cleanse you, I'll help you, I'll lift you up, I'll give you hope in this world that has none. I'll give you everything the world's looking for as it gropes about in darkness and can't find any. I'll give it to you freely. That's why I died. Come to me, come to me today for the light will not always be with you. Don't play fast and loose with it. Don't make excuses not to worship me. I am your life. I am your light. In me, you have everything you'll ever need. See, he's done it for you too. He's done it for you too. I pray today that all of us would come to the light and enjoy that light and know that light and those who know that light would walk in happiness today. You should skip out of here. You should jump out of here. I don't want to see it, but you should try it. You should be a happy people. God has loved you, and he gave the command to save you. Don't be unbelieving, as the Gospel of John says, but believing. This is the promise of God. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, what a plan. Going through a tough section of Scripture and to see your plan unfolding, to see your purpose of God throughout the generations and the years. And that even to Israel to this day, there's a remnant coming in by the election of grace. You didn't even wholly abandon them. You're a wonderful God. And we thank you, Lord, for your love. We thank you for including, we thank you for hearing the prayers and requests of our forefathers years ago who came and said, can we see Jesus? Thank you for hearing that. Thank you for bringing us into the kingdom. And Lord, may we never take for granted the light that's preached to us and the light that we walk in. And I pray that we would hear the call for any who have not come and come today, which means simply believe and rest in the Savior. And let us have confidence, Lord, of what this command is, a command that Jesus fulfilled, eternal life because he died and rose, showing and proving the testimony of the resurrection, the receipt handed, that our sins are forgiven. We bless the name of the Lord and ask that we would be thankful as a people and joyful as we look at a world groping around in the darkness that gets ever more increasing. For us, the true light's already shining and it will overcome all darkness ultimately. In Jesus' name, we pray these things, amen. Thank you.