JOHN LESSON 35


     We will begin this lesson in John 12:20.

     V-20, "And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to
worship at the feast:"

     V-21, "The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida
of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus."

     It appears the news was widespread about Jesus raising Lazarus
from the grave, and these Greeks had come to see this man who
performed such great miracles.  Jesus came first to the Jew, but the
Gentiles who believed on Him would not be denied.  Philip has a Greek
name and perhaps some of his people were Greek.  These people would
not be able to worship other than in the outer court, so that is
possibly where they ran on to Philip.  The Lord Jesus made many trips
into Jerusalem these six days before Passover.  It would not have been
difficult to locate Him.  The cry of every soul who ever seeked
salvation is, "We would see Jesus".  I love the song that says,
"Wherever Jesus is, will be heaven to me".

     V-22, "Philip cometh and telleth Andrew:  and again Andrew and
Philip tell Jesus."

     Philip seems to be a very shy person.  He tells Andrew, so he
will have some support when he goes to tell Jesus.

     V-23, "And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that
the Son of man should be glorified."

     In this, Jesus is telling the disciples, and those in hearing
range, that the time has come when Jesus will be glorified to all
mankind, and in so doing glorifies the Father.  Jesus is saying,
everyone can see me, because I will be lifted up on the cross for all
to see.

     V-24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat
fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone:  but if it die, it
bringeth forth much fruit."

     We see here, that Jesus is speaking again in parables, so that
just curiosity seekers would not understand what He is saying.  Jesus
is explaining that when you bury a grain of wheat, it does not stay
dead, but life wins out over death.  This grain o f wheat will live
again in the wheat it produces, but there will be much more than the
one grain that is planted. Here, we see Jesus telling them that when
His body goes to the ground and rises again, His followers will be
multiplied greatly.  Verily, verily means there is no room for doubt
(It is so).

     V-25, "He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth
his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal."

     We see here that those who love this world and the things of this
world are worldly and will have no eternal life in heaven to look
forward to.  To love the world is to be an enemy of God.  We
Christians, on the other hand, are living in the world, b ut we are
not of the world.  We are not caught up in things this world can bring
us.  We are not doing worldly things.  Our home is in heaven.  Our
heart and mind is stayed upon heavenly things.  We are like Abraham
who lived in tents looking for a city whose maker was God.  We
Christians are looking forward to the day when the trumpet shall blow
in the sky, and we shall be caught up into the heavens to be with our
Lord Jesus Christ.  If we love the world, we are worldly.  If we love
heaven, we are heavenly.

     V-26, "If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am,
there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my
Father honour."

     You see, if we serve Jesus, we will walk in His footsteps.  We
will do the things that He would do, if He were here.  To play follow
the leader, you must do everything the leader does.  This is the way
it is, if we are to serve Jesus.  We must do it His way and not ours.
If we call ourselves Christians, we should be Christ-like.  You can
not live worldly lives and still be a Christian.  A Christian is a
believer in and a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.

     V-27, "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say?  Father,
save me from this hour:  but for this cause came I unto this hour."

     We will see later at Gethsemene Jesus praying.  He will say my
Spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak.  The flesh of Jesus was as
mankind, but the Spirit within was God the Word.  Here above, Jesus is
saying, my flesh is not looking forward to the suffering.  This is the
reason Jesus came to this earth; to crucify the flesh, so that our
spirit might live.  Sin in the flesh was nailed to the cross to pay
the price for you and me.  We, too, must put our flesh under
subjection to the Spirit of God .  Flesh and blood does not inherit
the kingdom of God.  Our spirit body inherits heaven, if we believe in
and follow Jesus Christ our Lord.

     V-28, "Father, glorify thy name.  Then came there a voice from
heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again."

     Jesus, even here, has totally submitted to the will of the
Father.  This voice from heaven is the third time God has spoken aloud
to magnify His Son.  Those who are in tune with God, hear His voice
and understand.

     V-29, "The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said
that it thundered:  others said, An angel spake to him."

     As I said above, some have ears that cannot hear.  Many people
throughout the Bible have said it thundered when God spoke.  His words
must fall on ears willing to hear and understand, before His message
can be received.  This is the reason so many people read the Bible and
cannot understand what it is saying.  They are reading it technically,
and are not letting the Spirit speak to them and teach them what it is
really saying.

     V-30, "Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of
me, but for your sakes."

     You see, Jesus already knew that His Father would be glorified in
this, and that many who would not believe Jesus was the Christ
(Messiah) before the crucifixion would follow Him after He rises from
the grave, (as His half brother James does).  Jesus tells the people,
this voice is to encourage you, not me.

     V-31, "Now is the judgment of this world:  now shall the prince
of this world be cast out."

     You see, the judgement of the world and its system under Satan
will be defeated on the cross.  Satan is all for killing Jesus,
because he does not realize that what he feels will be victory over
Jesus, will actually be his greatest defeat.  Without t he shedding of
blood, there is no life.  Jesus must shed His blood for all who
believe in His name to go free.  Jesus was to pay the price for all of
us.  Our indebtedness will be marked paid in full.

     V-32, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men
unto me."

     V-33, "This he said, signifying what death he should die."

     I see, in this lifting up of Jesus, two things.  He was lifted up
from the earth on the cross.  As terrible as the punishment of
crucifixion was, it is where Jesus won victory over Satan.  The blood
of Jesus was not spilled, it was freely given.  Everyone who comes to
God must come by the way of the cross.  Had there not been a cross,
there would not be salvation.  The way of the cross leads to
everlasting life.  The curtain to the Holy of Holies was torn from the
top to the bottom while Jesus w as on the cross.  This opened the way
for all believers to the most holy place.  Jesus is the door we must
go through, but we are allowed in because He opened the way.  We can,
also, see in this that just as the tomb did not hold Jesus, neither
will the grave hold us.  We will rise from the grave just as Jesus
rose, if we have put our trust in Him.

     V-34, "The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that
Christ abideth for ever:  and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be
lifted up?  who is this Son of man?"

     Here, we see people who think of all of life being in this frail
body.  They expect Messiah to live on the earth forever.  Life does
not consisit of the things of this earth.  Our life on earth is but a
vapor, because this body we are housed in now i s not eternal.  The
Spirit within the body is eternal.  He will never die, just change
place of habitation.  Jesus the Christ is eternal.  Messiah is
eternal.  These people were not thinking of heaven.  They were
thinking of Jerusalem.  They had miss ed the meaning behind the
Scripture.

     V-35, "Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light
with you.  Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you:
for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth."

     There is a large group of people who have joined the disciples by
this time.  Jesus tells them, one more time, that He is the Light of
the world.  He is telling them to believe in Him, while He is here.
After He leaves, it will be harder to believe.  When Jesus is gone, it
will be much harder to come to Him, because the enemy will try to stop
you from believing. Even in our day, false doctrines are flying around
everywhere.  Few really know the Truth.

     V-36, "While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be
the children of light.  These things spake Jesus, and departed, and
did hide himself from them."

     Jesus, here, is making one more appeal to them.  They need to
receive the true Light of Christ.  There is a day of salvation.  Jesus
is telling them to believe Him now, while they can. Shortly after
Jesus' return to heaven, it will become very hard t o be a follower of
Christ.  Many, like Peter, will give their life for their belief.
Light is from God, darkness is of the devil.  Just like in the dark
ages, few came to Christ.

                                 Notes

























                           John 35 Questions


1.  Who, besides the Jews, came to worship at the Feast?
2.  Who did they come to, so they might see Jesus?
3.  The disciple that they had spoken to came to what other disciple?
4.  What did these Greeks say that all true believers say?
5.  Why did Philip go to Andrew before he went to Jesus?
6.  What hour did Jesus say had come?
7.  What must a corn of wheat do to bring forth fruit?
8.  We are told, if we love life we shall ________________________
    _______________________________.
9.  What must we hate to inherit eternal life?
10. Jesus said, if any man serve me ______________________________
    ____________________________    ______________________________
    ______________________.
11. Who will the Father honour?
12. Why does Jesus not ask the Father to stop this horrible death of
    His body?
13. When did the voice of God come from heaven?
14. What did most of the people think the sound was?
15. Some others said it was what?
16. For what purpose had God spoken?
17. Who will be cast out?
18. What would Jesus do, if He be lifted up?
19. What did this signify?
20. What had these people heard out of the law about Christ?
21. Who is this __________________________ of _________________
    they ask?
22. What did Jesus call Himself in verse 35?
23. Those who walk in darkness, do not know what?
24. What did Jesus tell them to believe in verse 36?
25. Where did Jesus go when He left them?

                                 Notes