JOHN LESSON 36
We will begin this lesson in John 12:37.
V-37, "But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet
they believed not on him:"
Jesus had been very distinct in the last lesson, telling them
that they must receive the Light while He was with them. I cannot
understand them not believing, when all these miracles were done in
front of them. Fear of the authorities do some strange things
sometime. They were possibly blinded of the Truth, because of their
fear of being thrown out of the temple.
V-38, "That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled,
which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath
the arm of the Lord been revealed?"
In Isaiah 53:3 we read a prophecy of this very thing, "He is
despised and rejected of men; man of sorrows, and acquainted with
grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and
we esteemed him not." You see, the prophecy Isaiah gave was of this
very thing. They were looking with their physical eyes with
astonishment at what they saw, but did not look at who they saw doing
these miracles. They, also, heard the beautiful sermons He preached,
but the message did not soak d own into their hearts. They listened
with their ears and not their hearts. The Lord showed them that He
was the arm of God, but they did not believe.
V-39, "Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said
again, "
V-40, "He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that
they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart,
and be converted, and I should heal them."
Isaiah's prophecy was from God and was therefore the truth. God
does not want them to believe in their flesh, because of facts
presented to them. God wants their hearts. God wants all of us, or
He will not take any of us. The Scriptures (verses 3 9 and 40) would
be a good argument in favor of predestination, but I really believe
this was the foreknowledge of God. He gave them the opportunity to
believe, but He already knew that they would not believe. God knows
everything, even unto the end of the age.
V-41, "These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake
of him."
In Isaiah 6:1 we read, "In the year that King Uzziah died I saw
also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train
filled the temple." You see, Isaiah was speaking of a vision of
heaven the Lord had allowed him to have.
V-42, "Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on
him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they
should be put out of the synagogue:"
This kind of belief is unacceptable to the Lord. In Romans
chapter 10 verse 9, it is very evident that we must confess with our
mouth, as well as believe in our heart. Romans 10:9, "That if thou
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in
thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved." God does not want secret followers. He wants us to believe on
Him and confess to others, so they might believe.
V-43, "For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of
God."
This is like it is today. Some people are so afraid that they
will lose their worldly friends, if they come to God, that they don't
answer His call. As we said earlier, God will not accept those who
are ashamed of Him. If we are ashamed of Jesus here, He will be
ashamed of us in heaven.
V-44, "Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth
not on me, but on him that sent me."
We see here, that Jesus is speaking to the large group, because
the word cried is used seemingly, meaning He spoke loudly. Since a
large number of these people believed in the Father, Jesus is telling
them, "If you really believed Him, you would h ave believed me";
because the message Jesus brought was from the Father. John 3:16,
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life." God the Father sent the Son to save whosoever will.
V-45, "And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me."
Have you ever heard someone say, you are the very image of your
father? That is what Jesus is and was, the image of His Father.
V-46, "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth
on me should not abide in darkness."
When we receive Jesus into our life, His Light comes in and does
away with the darkness in our innermost being. If we are possessed of
the Light of Jesus, we cannot be possessed of the darkness of the
devil. A Christian therefore cannot be demon possessed. We can be
oppressed, which is an attack on our flesh. To be possessed would
mean that we do not belong to Jesus the Light of the world. See
above, again, what Jesus said in His own words, "I am come a light
into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in
darkness."
V-47, "And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him
not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world."
When Jesus came to the world as the Son of God and took on the
name Jesus, He was here as Saviour. He came to save the world, not to
judge. There will be a time when He will be the Judge, but that will
be in heaven when we stand before the judgement seat of Christ. His
mission, as Jesus, was to save everyone who believed in His name.
V-48, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one
that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge
him in the last day."
Jesus' name in heaven is the Word of God. In I John 5:7 we read,
"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word,
and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." You see, Jesus is the
Word as we read in St. John 1:14, "And the Word was made flesh, and
dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
V-49, "For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent
me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should
speak."
Jesus was the voice of the eternal One. The speech of Jesus was
words from Himself and the Father who sent Him. These words are
commandments from God.
V-50, "And I know that his commandment is life everlasting:
whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I
speak."
When a person rejects Jesus, they are also rejecting the Father.
The Spirit of God is in accord. When you hear the Words of Jesus,
they are the same as the Father's. They never bring death, but life
everlasting, if they are heeded. Jesus brought the message of hope
for Himself and His Father, as well. What the law could not do,
(bring everlasting life) grace in Jesus did.
Notes
John 36 Questions
1. In verse 37, why was it almost unbelievable that they did not
believe?
2. Who had prophesied in the Old Testament that they would not
believe?
3. Who is the arm of the Lord?
4. Why did they reject Jesus?
5. What two things had God done, so that they would not believe with
their mind?
6. Where in Isaiah, do we read of him seeing the Lord on a throne?
7. When some of the chief rulers believed, why did they not confess
Him?
8. Where in Romans, do we read that we must believe and confess to
have Jesus?
9. Compare this to our day?
10. Who did Jesus say they were believing on, besides Himself, when
they believed on Him?
11. In verse 44, what one word tells us Jesus was speaking to a large
group?
12. In verse 45, Jesus said, if you had seen Him, you had seen whom?
13. In verse 46, Jesus says, He had come a light that those who
believe are not in ________________________.
14. When Jesus came to the earth as Son, He did not come to _________?
15. Why had Jesus come to the earth?
16. When will Jesus be our Judge?
17. What is Jesus' name in heaven?
18. Quote I John 5:7.
19. What does chapter one of John verse one call Jesus?
20. In chapter one of John verse 14, what form did the Word take on?
21. In verse 49, who had told Jesus what to say?
22. In verse 50, God's commandment is what?
Notes
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