Transcription downloaded from https://yetanothersermon.host/_/dfc/sermons/50490/pm-john-1223-36-the-drawing-power-of-the-cross-and-the-crucified/.

Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions.
Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt.


[0:00] Reading tonight is taken from St. John's Gospel, chapter 12, reading from verse 23 to 36.

[0:12] St. John's Gospel, chapter 12, verses 23 to 36. St. John's Gospel, chapter 12, verses 23 to 36.

[1:00] Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven, I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.

[1:15] The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Father said, an angel had spoken to him.

[1:26] Jesus answered, this voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world.

[1:39] 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.

[1:54] He said this to show 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.

[2:10] How can you say 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.

[2:25] Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in darkness does not know where he goes.

[2:37] While you have the light, believe in the light that you may become sons of light. May God add his blessing to his holy and precious word.

[2:54] I'm sure I don't need to inquire of you even in this day and age.

[3:15] That we live in a world today, past, present and future of many devices and attractions that have been thought out and brought out by some of the supposed greatest brains in our world.

[3:39] Things that are holding and bringing men's attraction and views leading to many conclusions in so doing.

[3:59] Seeking to explore the unknown spheres of existence and of creation. Exhaustive attempts are continually being made even in this day by our scientists and other so-called brains in this world and in this nations of ours.

[4:33] Exhaustive attempts are continually being made even in this world. Exhaustive attempts of the human mind, of life's meaning and of the mystery of death and beyond.

[4:47] People ask, why am I here? What's the reason that I'm here? What's the purpose of my being born? What's the purpose of me living to great numbers of years?

[5:03] Questions like that are produced again and again and you and I have faced them day by day.

[5:16] What is the reason for life at all? And still it plagues the minds of multitudes unto this very hour.

[5:31] I wonder tonight if you are one of them. That you are questioning why you are here and for what purpose you have been born at all.

[5:49] If that's the case then you may be in a lost and unpredictable situation. As the Bible says without hope and without God in the world.

[6:07] The one who indeed created you and I as the Catechism says that we might glorify him and enjoy him forever more.

[6:21] No hope, no solution to the signs of the outcome as to the end of it all. The pure objective imaginations of the human mind to promote the idea of life on the moon and Mars and Jupiter or anywhere else.

[6:48] The absolute means of the universe. The absolute means of the universe. The absolute means of the universe. To find out explanations and to find if there is life on these planets or on the moon.

[7:01] And eventually to plant people on the moon and on these planets. Does this now tell us that this is indeed a modern tower of Babel.

[7:19] A modern tower of Babel. To reach the heights that no man has ever reached. The question is will they ever attempt to reach the gates of heaven itself.

[7:37] Supreme exploitations then for mere modern man to succeed I believe.

[7:47] And I hope many of us do. We'd be for their works to follow them. And as a result pollute the moon and Mars as well as they have polluted this earth of ours.

[8:05] Do you mean to tell me that if men do succeed in landing on the moon or Jupiter or Mars or any of these planets.

[8:17] And managing to plant life in there. Are they not just going to carry the same pollution of sin up there. As they already created here on this world of ours.

[8:35] Pollute the atmosphere at the top. As they have polluted this world. And with the same illusions as they have produced on earth.

[8:48] Through sin. The whole pollution of sin. Would be for them to carry the same sin up to the heavens.

[8:59] As well as they have committed here on earth. You see behind it all is a deliberate idea of deleting the creator God from his world.

[9:17] And from his soul and sovereign creation. It is utterly absurd. Such an idea.

[9:28] That they are ever going to rid God of the world in which he has created. We have these deniable and supreme words from God himself.

[9:48] In his acts. And that statement of truth in the very first verse of Genesis.

[9:59] In the beginning. In the beginning God. God. What did God do in the beginning? God created the heavens and the earth.

[10:16] And you and I believe. I'm sure tonight. That this is the answer to atheism. The answer to evolution. Bang.

[10:27] Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. And this. Everything come in. To being with this. Almighty bang. What nonsense.

[10:38] What nonsense. Indeed. The Bible has given us the words. That are beyond all human. Experience.

[10:50] And all human thought. Ever. Words ever to fall. In the ears. Of humanity. And here is one of them tonight.

[11:03] In John's gospel. That we read. Here is one of the many. And how do these attract you and I. As we read.

[11:14] And ponder over their truths. And here is one of them. In John 12. In the chapter. Verses 32 to 38.

[11:27] Jesus said. In reply. To those around him. And I. If I be lifted up. From the earth. Will draw.

[11:38] All men. Unto me. What is he speaking about here. He is speaking about the death. That he.

[11:49] Should die. The cross. What did Jesus think. What do we think. That Jesus thought. And meant.

[11:59] When he said these words. For I be lifted up. I will draw. All men. Unto me. He was surely expressing. The word.

[12:11] Away. Back. In John 3. 14. Which says. And as Moses lifted up. The serpent. In the wilderness. Even so. Must the son of man.

[12:23] Be lifted up. Do you notice that word. Must. The son of man. Must. Be. Lifted up.

[12:35] And as. Jesus. Is using the echo. In the words. Of Moses. In numbers. 21. 8 and 9. When the bite. Of sin. And the bite.

[12:46] Of sin. And the form. Of that serpent. Smet. And bit. Everyone. And by looking up. To that servant. That serpent.

[12:57] That Moses. Had set up. In the pole. By. By. Simply looking to it. Men. Were. Healed. That word.

[13:10] The son of man. Must. Be. Lifted up. Tells us. Then. Of the necessity. Of. Jesus Christ.

[13:21] Being crucified. The necessity. That God. Had to go. The length. God. Had to go. In order. To save. To save.

[13:32] Mankind. To save. To save. You and I. Personally. So he's echoing back to Moses. In numbers. 21.

[13:42] That bite. Of sin. Made. In the form. Of a serpent. My thought.

[13:53] Here. Is that Jesus came. With this one purpose. As with others. That all people. Would thus. Be attracted to him.

[14:05] As. He. Was to be hung. Upon the cross. I'm sure. That you will agree. That that by. This crucifixion.

[14:16] That Jesus. Thought. That men. Would really. Be attracted. To him. And his suffering. But perhaps.

[14:29] It may be. That more. Were attracted to him. In his glorious. Resurrection. From the dead. And even more.

[14:40] Provoked. In his promise. Of coming. Again. The atheist. Says. There is no God.

[14:53] The fool. Says. There. Is no God. So. There is no such. A thing. Needed. Then.

[15:04] As. The atonement. The atonement. Was not needed. Christ. Needed. To be lifted up. From the earth. According. To the gospel.

[15:15] Of the atheist. There is no God. Also. Says. The fool. The agnostic. Says. On the other hand.

[15:25] The agnostic. Says. Well. These. Coups. Can neither. Be. Proved. Or.

[15:37] Disapproved. And. Accepts. Only. The phenomena. And. Knowledge. Of. The present. And. The material.

[15:47] How often. That is the case. That. People say. Well. You prove. To me. The.

[15:59] The need. For the gospel. The need. For a man. To hang. Upon a cross. In order. To save people. From their sins. You see.

[16:11] The agnostic. Also. With the atheist. Denies. That God. Is absolute. And that God. Is. Infinite. And of life.

[16:23] Hereafter. And of. Immortality. And. So. On. And you know. There may. Be more.

[16:34] Agnostics. In this world. Today. Than. Perhaps. Atheists. More. Agnostics. And atheists.

[16:46] In. This. World. Today. And the question. Is. What are you. And I's thoughts. On these matters.

[16:57] Of truth. God. Would ask of us. Here. And now. This evening. Hour. What are your thoughts. Considering.

[17:08] This. This. Crucifixion. Of our Lord. And Savior. Jesus Christ. Our Lord's words.

[17:22] In Gethsemane's garden. Now. Is my soul. Troubled. He says. And what shall I say. But for this cause. Came I.

[17:32] Unto this hour. We see here. Our Lord. Is confronted. With the issue. Of death. And it was not only.

[17:44] An issue. Of death. But. It was a hideous. Death. That he was called upon. To save you and I. From.

[17:55] Our sins. He indeed. Paid a worse penalty. Than you and I. Would suffer. A worse. Eternal death.

[18:07] And shame. And darkness. Forevermore. And then. Great battle. In the garden. Of Gethsemane.

[18:19] I see. Not only. The death of Christ. Not only. To be fulfilled. And to glorify. God. His father. Is the total. Submission. To the will.

[18:31] Of God. He fought. That battle. In the garden. Of Gethsemane. And eventually. Committed himself.

[18:44] To the will. Of God. The very fact. That he didn't have to die. He could easily. Have escaped. The crucifixion.

[18:56] Of the cross. But to fulfill. His father's. Purpose. And will. He came to do. And. To fulfill.

[19:06] And fulfilled it. To the utmost. Letter. And spiritually. Speaking. We are. In a battlefield. We are.

[19:19] In a battle. A battle. That's continually. Against. Fighting. Against. Good. And evil. Antichrist.

[19:31] And Satan. And his minions. Against. God. The everlasting. Creator. Of all truth. And righteousness. And righteousness. They.

[19:42] Are using. Us. To. Go. Against. God's. Everlasting. Degrees. Degrees. But God.

[19:54] He. Is the first. And the last. And he. Is the alpha. And omega. Of all things. The object.

[20:06] Of Jesus. Coming. With. I add. The eternal. And divine. View. Of drawing. All. Unto him. The will.

[20:17] His will. Was to have. All men. To be saved. And the bible. Tells us. That's what God's will is. That all men. Should be saved.

[20:27] And come to the knowledge. Of our lord. And saviour. Jesus Christ. And it appears. In this.

[20:40] Jesus. To add. The addition. Or way. To bring. This about. Was of his death. And that. Upon. The cross.

[20:52] Surely. By his death. Upon the cross. That men. Would be. Attracted. To him. Mind you. The Pharisees.

[21:02] Were attracted. To him. But like many. In this world. Their attraction. Was to condemn him. And to trip him up. And to make.

[21:14] Uselessness. Of. His words. And his. Acts. Of healing. And saving. I said before.

[21:27] This is a. A. A. Irresistible call. To come to the cross. And surrender. To what. Is there. Being. Achieved.

[21:39] And there is no doubt. That this. Would. And. Will. At the last. Fall. At. Christ's feet. Everyone.

[21:51] Will. Eventually. Fall. At the feet. Of Christ. Of. Given account. Of. Their. Life. Here.

[22:02] On earth. That account. Is determined. By the counsel. Of God's. Divine. Authority. So. If men.

[22:12] Will not. Be attracted. To Christ. By his death. His life. His resurrection. His coming. Again. Nevertheless. At the end.

[22:23] They will. Bow the knee. And confess. To him. That. Indeed. He. Is Lord. Of Lord.

[22:34] And King. Of Kings. One commentator. Writes. Such. Being. Christ's. Object. What. Is in the condition.

[22:45] Of his attaining. It. It is this. If I be lifted up. Will draw. All men. Unto me. The elevation.

[22:58] Requisite. For. Becoming. A visible. A visible. Object. To men. Of all. Generations. Was. And is. The.

[23:09] Elevation. Of Christ. Upon. The cross. On the end quote. In Christ.

[23:22] Dying. On the cross. What do we see? We see here. The utter. Form. Of. Devotedness. In his entire life.

[23:33] Leading. To the anguish. Of. Of God. God's. Purpose. In saving. Men. And nations.

[23:44] Nations. This. He is doing. As I see it. We learn. His one motive. That drove him. I'm sure.

[23:54] Of. This. To do. All. God's will. On. Our. Behalf. This is not. The completeness. Is this not.

[24:05] The completeness. Of self. Sacrifice. In the light. That he didn't. Have to do it. That great. Battle.

[24:16] In Gethsemane. And his. Overcoming. Victory. Oh. We think. Of the amazing. Grace. Of it all. And the deepest thought. When we add to it.

[24:29] That. Of. Even. In. That. Battle. Gethsemane. In that.

[24:40] Crucifixion. On the cross. There comes. The thought. That even you. And I. May have been. In the mind.

[24:50] Of Christ. As he went through. The torment. Of. Of. Of. Of. Of. Of. And eventually. Calvary. Where you and I.

[25:03] Where you and I. In. Christ. Thoughts. In. That very. Moment. Of. His. Great. Battle. In.

[25:15] Gethsemane. Thinking. Thinking. Thinking. About. Us. And. Our. Salvation. And.

[25:25] So. Relevant. Even. To this day. How. Then. I should. Call. You and I. With. A thought.

[25:36] Such as that. Call. You and I. To stop. And think. In awe. And wonderment. Of. Of. It all. How. Can. We really.

[25:47] Take it in. What our Lord. Suffer. The scourging. The spitting. And the crown of thorns.

[26:01] The spear on the ribbon side. What else. Could we. Indeed. How. Can we. Take it really in. You see.

[26:13] Gethsemane. On the cross. Brings to us. The utter. Severity. Of sin. It shows us.

[26:24] The utter. And. The utmost. Extremity. That drove. God. To these. Terms. To send. His son.

[26:35] To die. For us. Can you. And I. Really. Explain. Tonight. What words. Can fully. Explain. Such an act.

[26:47] And of such. Sovereignty. Love. And grace. And to add. To this. It was all. Undeserved.

[26:58] And it was. Ungrudged. By God. Himself. That. Is the amazing. Wonder. Of it all.

[27:09] Truly. Greater. Has no love. Than this. And a man. Lay down. His life. For his friends.

[27:20] Tremendous. Statement. Of truth. If that. Does not bring. The utmost. Attraction. Then all. Is lost. We indeed. As Paul says.

[27:31] Men. Most. Miserable. Anyone. Who is not. Provoked. And attracted.

[27:42] By this. Is indeed. Without hope. And God. In this world. Entirely lost. For time. And.

[27:54] Eternity. There is no other solution. For man. But. The cross of Christ. And him. Crucified.

[28:07] Paul met Christ. But not at Calvary. But on that. Damascus. Road. But in a sense.

[28:19] It really was. His. Calvary. You and I. May have come to Christ. May have met Christ. By faith.

[28:31] When we were. Converted. But may we were not. At Calvary. But. It was our Calvary. Indeed.

[28:42] For somehow or other. We have come. To the cross. In. Seeking. And surrendering. To his. Salvation.

[28:53] Yes. Paul met Christ. But not. At Calvary. But. On the Damascus. Road. And it led him.

[29:04] To. Prope. Prope. Prope. These words. Of 1st. Corinthians. 2. Verse. 2. Here is the utmost. Zeal of Paul.

[29:15] In preaching. The gospel. The gospel. Which he had received. And the Christ. In which. He had come. To know. For he said.

[29:26] For I determined. Not to know. Anything among you. Save. Jesus Christ. And him. Crucified. There you have.

[29:38] The attraction. There you have. The attraction. Of the cross. And. The crucified. The heart.

[29:49] Burning. Zeal. Of the apostle. Showing us. The sole attraction. To the cross. And the one. Who hung. Thereon.

[30:00] The crucified. Christ. The son. Of God. And again. The forceful. The more forceful.

[30:10] Expression. That he uses. In Galatians. 5. And 14. He says. But God forbid. That I should glory.

[30:21] Save. In the cross. Of our Lord. Jesus Christ. By whom. The world. Is crucified. Unto me. And I. Unto.

[30:32] The world. These. Are indeed. The mortal ones. These. Indeed. Are Paul's sight. Of the cross.

[30:44] Of Christ. And. The crucifying one. What of our sight. Tonight. What do we see. Again. As we look.

[30:55] Afresh. At the cross. Of our Lord. And Savior. Jesus Christ. As you and Luke. You and I. Look tonight. Again. In faith.

[31:06] And it's reality. With us. Let us. Take again. A fresh. Look. At the cross. And of him. Who hung. Upon it.

[31:18] I. If I be lifted up. Will draw. All men. Unto me. Maybe the death. Of Christ. As witness.

[31:29] Might have. Drawn more to him. As I said before. Than in his life. As. To his death.

[31:40] And glorious. Resurrection. Tonight. Stands the cross. Still. Stands the cross.

[31:50] In 2024. 24. And John. In his. Wonderful. Maybe never to be repeated.

[32:04] Vision. And revelation. In the book of Revelation. Brings us to that supreme. View of the cross. And of the crucified.

[32:17] Revelation. Chapter 5. And 6. He says. There. Stand. Stand. The lamb. As if. Slain. In the center. Of the throne.

[32:29] A picture of the cross. And the crucifying one. In the center. Of glory. What a. Revelation. The lamb.

[32:40] In the center. Of. The lamb. In the center. Of glory. There. As one. Who was slain.

[32:50] The Christ. The Christ. Of the cross. The one. In the center. Of the glory. At the last. He was.

[33:02] At the center. Of the throne. A picture. And a revelation. Of the cross. And the crucified one. All.

[33:13] In the center. Of. Of the glory. What a revelation. That must have been. To the eyes. Of John. There were many.

[33:24] Around. Calvary. At that day. And there were many. Gathered around. At the cross. Of Christ. There were mixed people.

[33:35] There would be atheists. The unconvinced. Mokers. Religious. Clerics. You name them. All gathered. Around.

[33:46] The cross. Of Christ. They were there. They were eyewitnesses. Of. What was happening. But there were those.

[33:57] Who were not only. Attracted by. Their power. Unsolved. And. Overcoming. Victory. The dying thief.

[34:09] The dying thief. Saw. Through it. All. That dying thief. In his last.

[34:20] Breathing hour. Saw it. All. When he said. He saw. The. In all. Conviction. And. Convincing power. He saw.

[34:34] The. The. Cross. Its meaning. And the one. Who. Hung upon it. And in a very short prayer. He said. Lord. Lord.

[34:47] Remember me. Very short prayer. Lord. Remember me. Remember Peter. When he. When he. Went to walk in the water. He simply said. Lord.

[34:58] Save me. And the prompting. Of. The answer to that prayer. Came. Very. Swift. Swiftly.

[35:09] Lord. Remember me. And the miracle. Happened. For that thief. was. Was. Given. The power.

[35:20] And authority. When Jesus said. Today. Today. Thou shalt be. With me. In paradise. Take the centurion.

[35:32] The centurion. Standing there. At the cross. Slapped himself. In the breast. And said. Truly. Truly. This. Was.

[35:42] The son of God. And every time. The cross. Is presented. As it is preached. And presented. Again tonight. We are still.

[35:54] In. That crowd. Somewhere. And what is our answer. To its attraction. Call. And. Its power. Henry Francis.

[36:07] White. The. The. Writer of that. Great hymn. Worldwide. Brings us at last. To the cross. He says.

[36:19] Hold thou. Thine cross. Before. My closing eyes. Shine. Through the gloom. And point me. To the skies. Heaven's.

[36:31] Morning breaks. And earth's veins. Shadows flee. In life. And in death. O Lord. Abide.

[36:43] With. Me. And perhaps. You and I. His prayer. Tonight. And perhaps. We. Join. With the apostle.

[36:53] Paul. In these. Immortal words. When he said. God forbid. That I. Should. Glory. Save.

[37:05] And the cross. Of our Lord. And Savior. Jesus Christ. By whom the world. Is crucified. Unto me. And I.

[37:16] Unto the world. We sing tonight. Our closing. Hymn of praise. From.

[37:35] Amen. You. Amen. Amen. Amen. Let's do. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[37:45]  Amen. Amen. Very good. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.aine. Amen.