How God Shows You His Glory

[0:00] from John chapter 12, verses 27 through 50, through the end of chapter 12. As we read God's word, remember, this is God's very own word.

[0:15] It's inspired, inerrant, infallible, clear, and sufficient for his people. John chapter 12, starting at verse 27.

[0:27] In the context, I'll refresh your memory, is that some Greeks had come along, and Jesus now tells them at the beginning of chapter 12, the hour is here.

[0:39] So the book of signs has come to a close, and now it's the hour of his passion. And in John chapter 12, verse 27, Jesus says, Now is my soul troubled.

[0:51] 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.

[1:03] 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.

[1:16] Others said, An angel has spoken to him. Jesus answered, The voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world.

[1:28] 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.

[1:42] So the crowd answered him, We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?

[1:54] 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 is going.

[2:06] 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.

[2:18] Though he had done so many signs before him, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled. Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?

[2:31] 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.

[2:46] 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.

[3:00] 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 loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

[3:17] 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 this world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

[3:34] If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him, for I do 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.

[3:48] 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.

[4:03] And I know that this commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me. This is the word of the Lord.

[4:14] Thanks be to God. Thanks be to God. Indeed, you may be seated. Would you pray with me?

[4:33] Father, glorify your name.

[4:48] Amen. Oh God, show us your glory. Amen. Amen. Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[5:05] This is the last public sermon that our Jesus preached. God took on flesh. He revealed the kingdom of heaven and he preached his final sermon in the public to Greeks and to Gentiles alike.

[5:20] And then he withdrew. The next time the public would see Jesus would be leading up to his crucifixion. And look at verse 28.

[5:31] John chapter 12, verse 28. How does our Lord Jesus pray before his final sermon? What a great prayer.

[5:41] Father, glorify thy name.

[5:54] And that's his sermon. His sermon, he shows you how God brings glory to his name. That's my message for you today. I simply want to try to show you five observations about how Jesus, the Son of God himself, shows you the glory of God.

[6:13] He wants you to see the glory of God. Could you ask for anything more? Father? Now let me make sure we can relate to this a bit as well.

[6:28] Father, glorify your name, Jesus says. Well, all of us have a name. You've got your first name that you go by and you've got your family name. And if you overhear someone speaking about your family name or the name of one of your loved ones, and especially if they're misrepresenting the name of one of your loved ones, you want to set the record straight, don't you?

[6:51] You want to reveal to them and explain to them, this is who that person is. You just use their name. This is what's true of them. And that's what Jesus came to do.

[7:03] His entire mission was to reveal his Father, to reveal God himself, to reveal his family in the name of God for you. This seems to be always on his mind.

[7:16] It's, I want these people to know God. When his disciples ask him, Lord, teach us to pray. You remember how he started that prayer? Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

[7:31] And how he prays right before his last sermon, Father, glorify your name. A.W. Tozer said this. Listen to this quote and decide if you think it's true.

[7:44] What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. What we think about God, whatever comes into your mind, that is the most important thing about you.

[7:57] When you hear God's name, what comes to mind? Tozer said, the most revealing thing about the church is always her idea of God.

[8:12] An orthodox catechism answers the question, what does that mean? Hallowed be your name. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, what does that mean? Listen to how our catechism defines it. When you say, hallowed be your name, you're really saying, God, help us to really know you, to bless you, to worship you, to praise you for all your works, for all that shines forth from what you have done.

[8:35] Your magnalia Dei, your wondrous works. They shine forth who you are, your almighty power, your wisdom, your kindness, your justice, your mercy, and your truth.

[8:49] That's what it means to glorify the name of God. It's to unveil, to reveal, to magnify who God truly is. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, he came to show what no human mind could make up, which is the essence of God himself.

[9:11] Let's walk through these five. Number one, God shows you his glory in Christ's mission. God shows you his glory in Christ's mission, his entire mission.

[9:25] You need to see the glory of God in what Jesus came to accomplish. Look at verse 27. Now is my soul troubled, Jesus says.

[9:35] According to his human nature, he's troubled. There's a dread. There's the horror of what he will bear. He will bear sin that's alien to him.

[9:47] And he will experience the wrath of God against the sin that he is bearing. And his soul is troubled. But look at how he answers his own feelings.

[9:58] What shall I say in verse 27? Father, save me from this hour, but for this cause, for this purpose, for this mission, I have come to this hour.

[10:11] He is troubled by the darkness in front of him, the darkness of the hour of his passion. He's troubled. But he's resolute in the light of eternity.

[10:26] Bear this hour and for eternity, the name of God will be known to his creatures. See, the purpose, he says, for this purpose, I came.

[10:38] It's for this agreement, this council of peace that the Son came to take on flesh, to live as the second Adam as Paul calls him in Romans 5, to merit what all under the curse of Adam have demerited.

[10:56] It's for this purpose that he came to fulfill all righteousness, to keep the law of God. He puts himself under the law so that he can restore and that he can earn by his own merit, not for himself.

[11:09] He lacks nothing. He would merit our righteousness and he would give you that righteousness but he also must pay the penalty for your sin. He must die on the cross.

[11:21] It's for this purpose that he has come to this hour. Verse 28, he says, Father, glorify thy name.

[11:33] God's name is all who God is. It's the essence of God. That's what it means. the name of God. It's all of God's attributes in holy, unified, perfection.

[11:46] Jeremiah Burroughs, a Puritan pastor, he said, the name of God is the shine and luster of all the attributes together. It's God's glory. That's what it is.

[11:57] And to say glorify your name means to shine the light of truth on who God really is. Push back the darkness and open the eyes of those who are in darkness to behold who God is.

[12:10] I love how one of our confessions says, who is God? God is the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything. He is eternal, infinite, and unchangeable in his power and perfection, goodness and glory, wisdom, justice, and truth.

[12:29] Nothing happens except through him and by his will. That's the name of God that Christ came to glorify. Now, listen to the response of God to this prayer.

[12:44] Jesus prays, Father, glorify your name. Don't you just wish you could be there in Jerusalem before Christ will retreat and experience this, what happens in verse 28?

[12:56] A voice came out of the heavens. I have glorified it. See, Christ's ministry up to this point already revealed God.

[13:06] He already has glorified his name by the life of Christ, his active obedience even before the cross, his incarnation, his ministry, his obedience, the signs he's performed, that's already magnified God's true essence.

[13:21] And the voice says, I will glorify it again. So also in his suffering, supporting Jesus, carrying him through his sufferings, through his death, then raising him from the dead and setting the son at God's own right hand, that will glorify it again.

[13:42] See, God shows you his glory in all of Christ's mission, his active and passive obedience. He was passive in humbling himself to take on the flesh and he was active in obeying and on the cross he was passive to endure the wrath of God on the place of sinners but he was also actively obeying and trusting his father even on the cross.

[14:04] He was active and passive the whole way through to reveal God in his essence. God is pure act, pure, holy, undefiled act of obedience and holiness.

[14:20] Verse 29, the crowd that stood there, see their reaction gives us an insight into what that would have been like to experience. They heard it and they said it had thundered and others said an angel has spoken to him.

[14:33] One commentator helped me to learn this that the Jews called this voice that comes from heaven proceeding from the midst of another voice. So that's why some said it's like thunder but then it also was like the voice of an angel coming out from the thunder and they understood the distinct words that were spoken.

[14:52] It wasn't just a natural phenomenon. This was God putting into their language affirming the ministry and the work of his son. See the father, the son, and the spirit are totally united in their activity.

[15:06] They're revealing themselves through the son by the power of the spirit teaching the hearts and opening their hearts to believe and hear and understand and the voice on behalf of father, son, and spirit calling out and affirming this is who I am.

[15:21] Look to Jesus. It's the third time that this has happened. The first one was Matthew 3.17 at the baptism of Jesus the voice from heaven said this is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased.

[15:33] So we can understand this to be the voice of the father. Matthew 17.6 says the same thing but adds on to it. This is at the transfiguration. Peter, James, and John the eyewitness of our fourth gospel.

[15:49] At the transfiguration they hear this voice that says this is my son with whom I am well pleased. Now they get involved. Listen to him. And listen to how they reacted, those three disciples.

[16:02] They fell on their faces terrified. Now Jesus clarifies to the public that's with him in verse 30. Jesus answered as they're saying was it thunder?

[16:12] Was it a voice of an angel? What was it? Jesus says this voice has come for your sake not mine. And I'm sure it comforted him. It's reassuring for the person of Jesus Christ fully God fully human the hour of his passion to hear this voice.

[16:30] But he's saying that this is to increase your faith and for you to pay attention to what is happening. This is the most significant event in all of human history that's about to take place.

[16:41] This is to get your attention at what I am doing Jesus says. And I want you to apply that as well. Jesus says it's for your sake that the God has spoken.

[16:54] It's for your sake church as well. Jesus was troubled according to his human nature. He was troubled by the weight of sin. He could feel the shadows deepen.

[17:06] And he was troubled according to his human nature. So when you are troubled in this present evil age look to Christ's resolute commission.

[17:17] It's for this very hour that I have come to save you. And keep in mind that he did that to rescue your soul to resurrect your body one day for eternity.

[17:29] That's why he endured that hour. It's for eternity so that you can be with God. So this voice from God is for you Christian. The voice of God goes out.

[17:41] It recreates. And it creates an awareness in our soul that only God can fill. It takes the darkness of our soul under the curse of sin and it speaks life and light into it.

[17:58] That's how Paul explains it to the church in Corinth in 2 Corinthians 4.6. The same God who said let light shine out of darkness has shown into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God how?

[18:15] In the face of Jesus Christ. Isn't that comforting as well? That if you believe in Jesus if you have beheld the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ it's because God's word his life giving light has shined into your soul and he has revealed himself to you.

[18:38] He has shown you who he is by teaching you to trust him through Jesus Christ. When a child is troubled maybe they're having a nightmare they need to hear the voice of their parent they need to see the face of their family one of their loved ones and then they're comforted again.

[19:01] So when you are troubled hear the voice of God and behold the face of Jesus Christ. That's the first one. God shows you his glory in Christ's mission.

[19:13] You see the glory of God in what Jesus accomplished. Number two God shows you his glory in casting down Satan. God shows you his glory in casting down Satan.

[19:28] See the glory of God in how Jesus takes his throne over this fallen world. Look at verse 31. Now is the judgment of this world Jesus says.

[19:45] In the Greek it reads really cool it says this is the crisis of the cosmos. I thought about titling the sermon that but it's really about showing you the glory of God.

[19:56] But the crisis of the cosmos is what he says. Matthew Henry said the world thinks that it's passing judgment on Jesus but the cross passes judgment on them.

[20:08] For when they reject the son they reject the father who sent him. Jesus says now is the judgment of the world. Cosmos here's what's wrong with you.

[20:22] Here's what here's what is broken. Here's what your crisis your judgment is. He's the doctor giving this fallen world the prognosis. Here's how bad it is for you world.

[20:38] He says now will the prince or the ruler of this world be cast down. That's a Jewish phrase and it's understood to mean an angel and an angel associated with death and darkness.

[20:53] Now will the prince ruler ruler of this world. That's Satan himself. Satan will be cast down Jesus says. Satan needs to be cast down because that's the brokenness of the world.

[21:08] The world is subject to the oppression of the enemy. And Jesus says I come as the good shepherd but my enemy seeks to destroy. So Satan has great sway over this world.

[21:21] He is on the prowl Peter says looking for who he can devour. And Jesus says I'm going to cast down this prince ruler of this present fallen evil age.

[21:37] Why is it that so many after seeing all these signs reject Jesus? See they are so bound by the chains of Satan. They're so addicted to their own disobedience.

[21:51] They have yielded voluntary subjection to Satan in this world for so long. They are his prisoners. Luke 22 verse 53 describes it this way.

[22:05] This hour of darkness that Jesus says he will reverse. That's why when Satan is cast down this hour of Satan having full reign and blinding the eyes of all the nations is coming to an end.

[22:20] Jesus said in Mark 3 verse 27 that God himself would be entering into the strong man's house. This world is like the house of Satan.

[22:32] Satan is the strong man. And Jesus God himself in the flesh came to bind him and then to plunder Satan's goods out of this world. We sang this hymn at Christmas time.

[22:45] O come thou rod of Jesse free thine own from Satan's tyranny from depths of hell thy people save and give them victory or the grave.

[22:58] How will Jesus do this? Because this is good news. So far he hasn't lost anyone. He's going to topple over the oppressors of this world. He's going to reverse this evil power structure over his creation.

[23:11] That's good news. But what Jesus says next, this is the way he'll cast down Satan. This is the way many cast Jesus aside. Look at verse 32.

[23:23] This will happen when I am lifted up from the earth. When I am lifted up. And they understand his meaning by how they react.

[23:37] When Jesus is lifted up, there's so much in that image. So he came from heaven to earth. And he'll be lifted up in his earthly body on the cross.

[23:48] He will be lifted off the earth, suspended in midair between earth and heaven. That's the place of the mediator between a holy God and sinful man.

[23:59] He will be lifted up on the cross. He will descend to hell and he will be ascending. He will be raised up to the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

[24:10] And from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. he says in verse 32, I will draw all. Remember the Greeks had come and they had come to see Jesus.

[24:23] And he says I will draw all, not just the Jews. I will be like a magnet. I will pull people from all nations. Like we read in Psalm 86 this morning. When I am lifted up I will draw them to myself.

[24:38] In verse 33 he said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. It would be by the cross that our Lord Jesus would defeat the devil.

[24:50] By his work on the cross our Lord Jesus would cast the devil down. It would be by the cross Colossians 2.15 that Jesus would spoil the principalities and the powers and make a show of them openly triumphing over them in the cross.

[25:10] God so now the nations can believe in Jesus but hold on we know as a church that Satan still seeks to devour and Satan is still causing destruction in the world and Satan still hates the church and Satan wants to hunt down your soul still.

[25:30] Well picture Satan like a hyena. You can't change the nature of a hyena but the work of Christ his work in his life and his death on the cross it took the teeth and the claws out of that hyena.

[25:44] Satan is still going around like a scavenger in this world but for Christians he is powerless. Death has no sting. Satan cannot hurt you if you're in Christ. He has been cast down.

[25:56] One day he'll be bound up not allowed to roam around the earth and he'll be tormented in hell. But that's how we can picture if you're truly in Christ Satan to you is not something to fear.

[26:07] Now you still don't want to mess around or think little of your own weakness. Still a predator a creature of prey whose very nature hates God and hates God's people but he has no more power over the church by the power of Jesus Christ.

[26:24] So find comfort in that the next time that you are facing strong temptation and Satan is accusing you of your sin he's accusing God to you he's accusing your brothers and sisters in the church to you that's what Satan loves to do and ask the Lord to sustain you by his power.

[26:43] Satan has no power over you and when God gives you victory over temptation when God shows you that's the enemy lying to you you praise God you praise God because he has defeated the enemy he's cast down Satan and that your ability to withstand the sin and the temptation it's because of his work.

[27:01] isn't that great news we get to live in this world dark as it is and when God does give us victory over temptation we're more than conquerors in Christ we know it's because he has cast down our enemy.

[27:16] Remember 2 Corinthians 4.4 the God of this world that's Satan has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God.

[27:34] That's why we church we don't battle against powers against flesh and blood we do battle against the principalities of darkness and there's a spiritual battle going on for your soul and for our loved ones.

[27:46] Remember that God has shown you his glory by casting Satan down that's how we fight in this battle. Third observation God shows you his glory in the light of his word.

[28:01] God shows you his glory in the light of his word. See how the glory of God is reflected and magnified in the word of God.

[28:12] Remember how John introduced this entire gospel he said in the beginning was the word and the word was with God the word was God all things were created through the word of God and God shows you his glory in the light of his word.

[28:31] Verse 34 the crowd answered him we have heard from the law that the Christ abides forever. Now the crowds were doing well to search their scriptures to search the word of God and they were doing well to say we know what to expect when the Messiah will come.

[28:49] Where would they have gotten this understanding of a Messiah who would come who would abide and rule over them forever? Could have been in countless places I'll give you three Psalm 110 4 he will be a priest forever Psalm 45 6 your throne is forever and ever so not only will he be a king that rules forever he'll also be a priest that rules forever.

[29:13] Symbolically or spiritually Jerusalem will be the hub in which the kingly office and the priestly office and the prophetic office of revelation declaring God's word will be combined in one person.

[29:26] Those offices that are anointed in the Old Testament prophet priest and king combined and fulfilled in one Messiah who will abide forever. Listen to the promise of Daniel chapter 7 verses 13 and 14 this is so rich.

[29:41] Daniel wrote behold with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man there's the phrase from John 12 he came to the ancient of days so one like the son of man the son Jesus Christ God in the flesh he came before the ancient of days that's the father the triune God represented and the son of man was presented before him before the ancient of days to him to the son of man was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples all nations all languages should serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion and it shall not pass away his kingdom shall never be destroyed so they're holding on to what God's word has told them about the Messiah and that's why it doesn't make sense that's why they say in verse 34 how can you say that the son of man must be lifted up his kingdom is supposed to endure forever that's what the word of God says

[30:45] John Gill pointed out how these Judean Old Testament scholars they were confused they believed that there maybe were two Messiahs one Messiah would be one who would be like a servant who would suffer the other Messiah would conquer and deliver but maybe it was two different Messiahs so they say which Messiah are you which son of man are you because we thought you were going to be the one that would conquer and cast down Satan but now you're telling us you're the Messiah that will be lifted up and it's the kind of death you're going to die so they're confused Jesus Jesus answers them I am the word I am the light look at verse 35 the light is among you for a little while longer walk while you have the light so which Messiah am I I'm the Messiah you need to obey Jesus says lest the darkness overtake you walk in the light while you have the light see the

[31:50] Jewish nation had Jesus in the flesh soon Jesus would be at the right hand of the father and by the power of the spirit all the nations would be getting the revelation they would all be invited into his kingdom but now was the time for the Jews to believe to see from the word of God for themselves the glory of the father in the person of Jesus two different Messiah the same Messiah through his obedience and suffering as a servant he will conquer and reign and rule inaugurating his spiritual kingdom until it's one day consummated verse 36 while you have the light believe in the light that you may become sons of light you may become sons of light you're either a son of darkness you're a son of Satan or you're a son of light you're an heir with

[32:51] Christ Gil you are made light in the Lord don't you want to be a son of the light how does that happen this is how you are made a son of the light it's when the Holy Spirit enlightens you it's when the Holy Spirit shines the light of God's word to expose your sinfulness your impotence to save yourself your unrighteousness before a holy God your need of Christ your need of his righteousness your need of Christ's strength your need of his salvation that's what it means to be a son of light and when he does that you walk in the light you walk with him if you truly are a son of the light 2 Corinthians 4 6 the same God who said let light shine out of darkness has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus

[33:51] Christ you walk in the light I was trying to think of a way to illustrate what this would be like and some crazy people like to ride their mountain bikes on really steep ridges of mountains and even crazier people like to do this at what is it like to walk as a son of the light that's how we need to picture our life in this world we're pilgrims we're sojourners we are mountain bikers at night and you know what is that headlamp it is the light of the word of God this is our fourth one I think it opens up even further what this means okay number four God shows you his glory in the mystery of revelation God shows you his glory in the mystery of revelation Christ unveils God's glorious name

[34:52] God's glorious essence to you he pulls the veil off of it in Ephesians 3 verses 4 and 5 Paul writes of the mystery of Christ and the mystery of Christ it's not meant to say that anything about God was concealed it's not like a mystery that you have to figure out no mystery is a form of revelation all of the gospel is contained in the pages of scripture but in some places it's shadowy and we need the full light of Christ to cast back the light to illumine all of God's word that's why Christ himself he is the mystery of revelation he is the one who he is the key that unlocks the treasures of the scripture we read that when Jesus had said these things these teachings up to this point he departed and hid from them the next time he'll enter the scene is in

[35:55] John chapter 13 and this is around the time of the Passover what we celebrate as our Good Friday there's still a few more sands in the hour glass of time just days away from Passover and so most commentators have come to the conclusion that what follows from verses 37 to the end of the chapter is John the apostle John summarizing what was it that Jesus declared when he preached and cried out throughout his whole ministry how do you summarize it what's the residual message that's left so look at verse 37 though he had done so so many signs before them they still did not believe in him it was the signs that brought Nicodemus to visit Jesus at night he had made the blind man to see most recently he had brought life back to Lazarus and you couldn't fill up enough books to tell of all that Jesus did and John says still they did not believe in him the sin was so deeply rooted inside of them just like it was in us unless

[37:04] Christ has given you a new heart that even the most undeniable miracles were not enough to make them believe it takes God's sovereign grace to open the eyes of sinners verse 38 let's look here it's so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled it's the glory of God on display through his word even their unbelief reveals the glory of God and puts it on display even what Isaiah had prophesied in Isaiah 53 verse 1 Lord who has who has believed what he has heard from us and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed God himself must reveal his gospel in verse 39 therefore they could not believe see in verse 37 he emphasizes that they did not believe they hardened their hearts and in verse 39 they could not believe and

[38:05] God had foretold of this hard heartedness that would happen even when God himself took on flesh just like it had happened in the days of Isaiah in Israel Isaiah had said we in verse 40 that he God has blinded their eyes and God has hardened their hearts remember Pharaoh hardened his heart toward God and Pharaoh was the oppressor of God's people and then God hardened Pharaoh's heart and now the people have hardened their hearts toward God they did not believe and so now we read in verse 40 that what God did to Pharaoh God is doing to Israel national Israel God hardened their heart lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart and turn and I would heal them God hardened the hearts of those who were bound under Satan you could say God allowed their hard hearts to become petrified the pride that already bound them fossilized them they're stuck like that they are frozen now in their fear of man and their love for the glory that comes from man so they remained blind toward the

[39:19] Messiah even Jesus Christ himself who would suffer and die it's that same prophecy where Isaiah says in Isaiah 53 that he was despised rejected by men a man of sorrows acquainted with grief as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised and we esteemed him not we read in verse 41 of John 12 that Isaiah said these things because this should be mind blowing this is why the mystery of Christ revelation is so glorious Isaiah said these things because what in verse 41 Isaiah saw his glory and spoke of him do you understand what that means Isaiah in Israel saw the glory of Jesus the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and spoke these prophecies

[40:19] Isaiah 53 spoke of Jesus Christ centuries before he came listen to how Isaiah describes another eyewitness of seeing the glory of God in the face of Christ this is Christ before he took on flesh Isaiah 6 1 through 5 I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up and the train of his robe filled the temple above him stood the seraphim each had six wings with two he covered his face and with two he covered his feet and with two he flew and one called to the other and said holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory and the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called and the house was filled with smoke and I said woe is me for I am lost for I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips for my eyes have seen the

[41:24] King the Lord of hosts John writes in verse 42 nevertheless many even of the authorities believed in him but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it so they would not be put out of the synagogue verse 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God did you hear how Isaiah described the glory that comes from God shown and reflected through Jesus and yet they loved the glory of man I worked through a few different ideas of how to try to illustrate this and the best one to me is from Narnia you remember little boy Edmund one of the little boys well Edmund he's tempted by the white witch and she offers him Turkish delight and he becomes enchanted by this Turkish delight and

[42:25] Edmund was choosing a path you follow this white witch you keep eating her Turkish delight she's going to take you back to her evil castle and you will turn into a petrified statue just like everyone else who took that bait or Edmund you listen to the voice the roar of Aslan and you follow him and he's going to lay out a banquet feast before you and he crushes this white witch Edmund why would you settle for Turkish delight when you have Aslan the king himself roaring for you so how about you are you a son of the light are you listening to the voice of God that speaks and creates the light he calls to you will you be like those in Isaiah's day and like those at the time of

[43:26] Christ in the flesh and will you join the devil in eternal darkness follow his bait settle for worldly manly glory or will you follow Christ listen to his word by faith and enjoy eternal life in his kingdom to come my final observation I want to drive home to you this is that God will show you his glory either way you respond God will show you his glory either way you respond obey him today and you will see his glorious grace reject Jesus this hour and you will see his glorious justice on the last day either way you will see his glory glory of his grace now or the glory of his justice later look at verse 44

[44:34] Jesus cried out you want to summarize his message here's what he declared whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me whoever sees me sees him who sent me God's grace I'll show you first here is glorified when you believe in him in verse 46 he says I've come into this world as light whoever whoever whoever believes in me does not remain in darkness what a glorious promise that you will receive his grace you want his grace Thomas Watson said the happy Christian makes his own unworthiness something he continually studies because your unworthiness magnifies God's grace reflecting on your unworthiness makes you happier as a Christian because you see your need for

[45:34] God's grace Watson said he looks with one eye the happy Christian to grace which keeps his heart cheerful and he looks with the other eye to his own sin which keeps his heart humble and depending on God 1st Timothy 3 16 indeed indeed it's great we confess the mystery of godliness how Jesus was manifested in the flesh vindicated by the spirit seen by angels proclaimed among the nations and believed on in the world and he was taken up into glory so the king of light overcomes the darkness the light has already won and you'll be a happy Christian you will see the glory of God in his grace if you see the grace of God in the person of Jesus Christ for you and for me when you're tired as a Christian when you feel like you're running that sanctification marathon and you've run out of energy well think of what

[46:41] Olympians do when they're on that final stretch they're exhausted they don't think they have any more to give and they remember the flag that's on their jersey and they find strength in belonging to this nation this kingdom remember that it's the strength of the kingdom of God it's his grace for people like you he puts the jersey of his kingdom on you and says let's run I am your energy one more day you can do this with me I'm your strength but remember you need me it's my grace that sustains you so you are a champion but you're a champion by grace run that way but that's not the end we still have four more verses here verse 47 see if you obey Christ today you see his glorious grace but if you reject Christ you see his glorious justice look at verse 47 Jesus says if anyone hears my words and does not keep them I do judge him I do not judge him for

[47:42] I did not come to judge the world but to save the world he's saying in this hour this mission the reason I came now is not to judge I came to save but I am coming again and when I come again it will not be a message of grace it will be a message of judgment the purpose of his first coming was salvation the purpose of his second coming is justice verse 48 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 do you see how God will show you his glory either way you respond in verse 49 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 either way you respond his glory will be displayed and listen if you reject the authority of

[48:48] Christ you will not diminish his glory one bit not one ounce of God's glory will lessen by you rejecting him rather it'll be it'll be the glorious justice that is further revealed then you have no excuse for not believing we just saying holy holy holy though the darkness hide thee though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see God is still holy holy holy and he will come and he will usher in his kingdom and on that day every knee will bow one way or the other so believe in him today this is the hour of his salvation this is the hour of grace 2 Corinthians 4 6 the same God who said let light shine out of darkness has shown in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ so when your faith is weaker than your sight look to

[49:53] Jesus see the fullness of God's name glorified in the person of Jesus Christ and be convinced that he is the great king be convinced that Jesus Christ has glorified the name of his father by how he suffered by how he lived by how he proclaimed the kingdom of heaven and make sure that again and again and again you receive his grace and you look to your dependence on him Jesus said what I said therefore I say as the father has told me what we get now in this life is the word of Christ by faith but behind the word of Christ by faith is the glorious eternal heavenly kingdom of the father and you receive Christ by faith you're receiving the entire kingdom of God by faith I picture two children both grew up in a dark totalitarian regime and the enemy of this wicked totalitarian empire is going to bring the final day of destruction and a chopper comes in and takes these two children and says come with us to the kingdom that we're going to take you back to you've never seen it but trust my word this is a kingdom where you want to live and one hour this kingdom all that you have ever known will be destroyed well one child takes the hand of those who came to rescue takes that hand of salvation gets in the helicopter and has that life in a kingdom of freedom and peace the other child doubts backs away remains there and the destruction is coming in the next hour obey him obey

[51:48] Jesus Christ by grace put your faith in him trust that he came on this very mission it's to save you to seek and to save reject him today and know that he has warned you of his coming justice in the hour to come see the glory of God in the obedience of his servant our savior and see the glory of God in the judgment in the coming of his kingdom our Lord see God's glory turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in his glorious face and the things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace as we sing do you see how in his last sermon Jesus Christ shows you the glory of God he shows you his glorious name his divine essence for you is set on full display in the person of

[52:55] Jesus Christ turn your eyes upon him once again today let's pray this is from Revelation 15 verses 3 and 4 Lord you have shown us your glory in Jesus Christ you fill your people with the song of the lamb we sing great and amazing are your deeds oh Lord God almighty just and true are your ways oh king of the nations who will not fear oh Lord and glorify your name for you alone are holy all nations will come and worship you for your righteous acts have been revealed help us to receive them by faith once again today we pray amen