So it's John 12, verse 37 to 50.
Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,
so that the words spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled.
Lord, who has believed what he has 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 loved 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.
Well, good morning, everyone.
My name is Dave.
I'm one of the pastors here.
Would you please pray with me as we come to God's word?
Our Father in heaven,
have mercy on each one of us.
Give us eyes to see your Son,
that we might know you as you truly are.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Why doesn't God make himself clearer?
If someone googled,
is God there,
and clicked on the top result,
they'd read this.
Stephen Hawking's final book says
there's no possibility
of God in our universe.
Someone looking for God will read that.
He says things like this.
I think the universe was spontaneously created
out of nothing,
according to the laws of science.
If you accept, as I do,
that the laws of nature are fixed,
then it doesn't take long to ask,
what role is there for God?
God.
This is the most publicly accepted
and popular belief
in the community we live in.
People live by this.
If one of the greatest minds
of our generation
can't see God,
it makes you wonder,
why doesn't God make himself clearer?
When I was an SRE teacher
at Katara High,
I won't forget
this one lesson in particular.
A year seven class,
a 12-year-old boy
challenged me.
If God is real,
then he can make a bird
land on that branch
out the window.
We're on the second story,
a tree outside.
He wasn't making a philosophical point.
He was challenging.
He wants a sign,
prove that God is there.
Now, I was really torn at this point.
On the one hand,
I had this arrogance
of a 12-year-old boy
and on the other hand,
the class was listening to him.
God's reputation was at stake.
What do I do?
I didn't want to put God to the test.
Instead, I read,
just the rest of the lesson,
I read Mark's Gospel
for as long as we got up to
to show them Jesus.
At the end of the lesson,
a few minutes before the bell,
a bird landed on that branch.
God was very gracious.
Why doesn't God make himself clearer
by doing things like that more often?
Greater things than a bird
just landing on a branch.
And I think we can ask this question
in our everyday experience as well.
We might often think,
consciously or not,
I just don't feel close to God.
Is he there?
Is he with me?
How can I feel so alone
if God really is with me?
When I go to church
and hear about God,
it just doesn't do much for me.
I feel the same temptation
to sin as last week.
I feel so weak.
Surely I'd feel stronger
if God was with me.
I have this life-changing decision to make
and it just doesn't seem like God is there
helping me decide.
Why doesn't God make himself clearer?
Here's the Apostle John's answer.
In the beginning
was the Word.
And the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning
with God.
All things
were made through him
and without him
was not anything
made
that was made.
The true light
which gives light to everyone
was coming into the world.
He was in the world
and the world
was made through him
yet
the world
did not know him.
He came to say
he came to his own
and his own people
did not receive him.
But to all who did receive him
who believed in his name
he gave the right
to become
children of God.
And the Word became flesh
and dwelt among us.
And we have seen his glory.
Glory as of the only Son
from the Father
full of grace
and truth.
No one has ever seen God.
The only God
who is at the Father's side
he
has made him known.
If you see Jesus
you see God.
Like in a court case
John has given
his opening statement.
He has spent
12 chapters
laying out the evidence.
In our passage today
we come to a closing statement.
From chapter 13 onwards
Jesus teaches those
who believe in him
what it will mean
to follow him
to the cross.
And Gareth will help us
through the first section
of this next week.
So imagine
you're a member
of a jury
and you're about
to go off
to deliberate
over the evidence
and then give
your verdict.
is Jesus
the Christ
the Son of God?
Do you think
he is
impressive?
So impressive
that he is like
a bright light
and this rest of the world
is just in darkness.
so before we hear
the closing statement
let's remind ourselves
of what we've seen
so far.
You've seen
seven signs
and you've heard
Jesus accompanying
words which together
reveal who Jesus is.
So sign one
at the wedding
in Cana
Jesus creates
a ridiculous
amount of wine
just out of water.
and the twelve
disciples see this
they see his glory
and believe.
Jesus then says
he's going to create
a new temple
in just three days
where people
can come close
to God
and know him.
He says to Nicodemus
unless one is born again
he cannot see
the kingdom of God.
Sign two
Jesus tells
the Roman centurion
go
your son
will live.
The centurion
believed the word
that Jesus
spoke to him
and his son
who was sick
lived.
Sign three
by a pool
in Jerusalem
a man laid there
who had been sick
for 38 years.
Jesus said to him
get up
take your bed
and walk
and at once
the man was healed
and he took up
his bed
and walked.
He declared
to the authorities
truly truly
I say to you
whoever hears
my word
and believes
him who sent
me
has eternal
life.
He does not
come into judgment
but has passed
from death
to life.
Sign four
a crowd
of five thousand
men
followed
to hear
Jesus' words
and out of
five barley loaves
and two fish
he feeds
every single
one of them
they're full
they're stuffed
and then they
collect twelve
baskets of
leftovers
and Jesus
declares
I am the
bread of life
I am the
living bread
that came down
from heaven
if anyone
eats of this
bread
he will live
forever.
Sign five
while his
disciples
cross the sea
in a boat
about five
kilometers
of rowing
they see
Jesus
walking
on the
sea
and coming
towards
them
and they
are
frightened.
Sign six
a man
who was
born
blind
Jesus
spat
on the
ground
and made
mud
with the
saliva
then he
anointed
the man's
eyes
with the
mud
and said
to him
go and
wash
so he
went
and washed
and came
back
seeing
Jesus
declared
I am
the
light
of the
world
whoever
follows
me
will
not
walk
in
darkness
but
will
have
the
light
of
life
sign
seven
after
four
days
of
Lazarus
being
dead
and
wrapped
in
burial
cloth
in
the
tomb
at
the
mouth
of
the
tomb
Jesus
cries
out
in a
loud
voice
Lazarus
come
out
the
man
who
died
walked
out
Jesus
said to
Martha
I
am the
resurrection
and the
life
whoever
believes
in me
though
he die
yet
shall
he
live
and
everyone
who
lives
and
believes
in
me
shall
never
die
do
you
believe
this
you've
seen
the
signs
you've
heard
his
words
what's
your
verdict
here's
the
Jewish
people's
verdict
in
verse
37
though
he
had
done
so
many
so
great
signs
before
them
they
still
did
not
believe
in
him
the
descendants
of
Abraham
those
delivered
through
Moses
those
waiting
for the
promised
son
of
David
those
who
received
the
words
of
the
prophets
came
to
the
verdict
not
the
Christ
not
the
son
of
God
if
Jesus
is
the
real
deal
how
come
the
Jews
didn't
see
him
as
the
son
of
God
just
before
we
explore
John's
answer
to
this
question
quickly
notice
that
the
Jews
verdict
has
swung
drastically
and
really
quickly
something
has
changed
their
minds
just
hours
earlier
that
had a
public
celebration
welcoming
him
into
Jerusalem
crying
out
the
king
of
Israel
something
has
changed
in
those
few
hours
world
will
keep
it
for
eternal
life
a
Christ
who
invites
all
people
not just
Jews
all
people
everywhere
to come
to him
no he's
no longer
impressive
they didn't
like what
they saw
so we're
left with
the
question
how
come
the
Jews
didn't
see
Jesus
as
God
and
John
gives
two
main
answers
to
this
question
first
through
the
testimony
of
Isaiah
we can
see
that
they
were
blind
as
God
said
they
would
be
and
the
second
answer
is
many
Jews
did
believe
but
they
remained
silent
because
their
love
for
this
world
got
in
the
way
of
their
any
love
for
God
so
first
John
calls
the
prophet
Isaiah
onto
the
witness
stand
Lord
who
has
believed
what
he
heard
from
us
and
to
whom
has
the
arm
of
the
Lord
been
revealed
these
words
are
from
Isaiah
53
1
and
are
about
God's
chosen
suffering
servant
who
would
be
pierced
for
our
transgressions
so
that
God's
people
their
relationship
with
God
would
be
healed
the
rejection
of the
suffering
servant
was
always
what
God
said
would
happen
in
fact
under
God's
sovereign
hand
the
rejection
is the
very
means
by which
God
brings
about
his
plan
to
save
and
it
shows
the
utter
stubbornness
and
blindness
of
sinful
people
that
they
would
even
reject
the
one
who
suffers
in
their
place
to
save
them
the
unbelief
of the
Jews
is
exactly
what
God
said
would
happen
and
it
shouldn't
be
surprising
Israel
has
always
been
like
this
when
they
were
saved
from
Egypt
by
the
ten
plagues
through
Moses
revealing
the
powerful
saving
arm
of
the
Lord
brought
to
the
edge
of
the
promised
land
Moses
says
this
to
them
in
Deuteronomy
29
3-4
with
your
own
eyes
you
saw
those
great
trials
those
miraculous
signs
and
great
wonders
but
to
this
day
the
Lord
has
not
given
you
a
mind
that
understands
or
eyes
that
see
or
ears
that
hear
they've
always
been
like
this
people
are
always
like
this
and
it's
a
willful
blindness
and
inability
to
believe
you
might
be
objecting
how
can
people
be
saved
if
they
are
not
able
to
believe
it's
not
that
God
makes
seeing
people
blind
it's
that
he
leaves
people
in
their
willful
blindness
and
by
his
grace
alone
he
chooses
some
to
give
new
eyes
to
see
no
one
deserves
eyes
to
see
it's
our
own
sin
that
makes
us
blind
remember
Jesus
words
in
John
3
19
this
is
the
judgment
the
light
has
come
into
the
world
and
people
loved
the
darkness
rather
than
the
light
because
their
works
were
evil
mercy
he
saw
Jesus
glory
that
vision
in
chapter
6
of
God
high
and
exalted
on
his
throne
he
saw
Jesus
glory
Isaiah
53
he
saw
the
suffering
servant
he
saw
the
glory
the
Jews
blindness
to
Jesus
is
just
as
God
said
and
so
their
rejection
is
actually
even
more
confirmation
that
Jesus
really
is
the
Christ
God
said
this
would
be
the
case
their
rejection
is
more
confirmation
that
Jesus
really
is
the
Christ
the
Son
of
God
so
now
John
has
pointed
that
out
to
you
have
even
more
light
to
see
what
will
you
do
with
that
if
you
see
Jesus
you
see
God
the
second
answer
on the
other
hand
John
points
out
that
there
were
many
Jews
who
did
believe
in
Jesus
even
some
of
the
authorities
who
knew
their
scriptures
well
we
might
think
of
Nicodemus
and
Joseph
of
Arimathea
who
gave
Jesus
an
honorable
burial
they
did
believe
and
many
others
as
well
but
if
they
believed
why
didn't
they
say
so
why
weren't
they
public
about
it
the
reason
is
a
little
chilling
a
little
piercing
to
our
own
hearts
they
love
the
glory
the
praise
that
comes
from
people
more
than
the
praise
that
comes
from
God
it's
belonging
to
those
with
the
power
it's
having
a
recognized
place
and
position
in
the
community
that
was
more
important
than
belonging
to
God
they
feared
the
Pharisees
they
didn't
want
to
be
put
out
of
the
synagogue
they
wanted
to
keep
their
place
their
identity
their
relationships
more
than
they
wanted
to
have
God's
approval
and
his
welcome
his
praise
for
following
God's
son
I
think
we all
know
this
very
well
don't
we
I
think
it
hits
each
of
us
different
ways
it's
not
taking
any
step
that
would
threaten
your
position
in
the
people
that
you
belong
to
I'll
follow
Jesus
just
I
won't
take
any
step
that
threatens
my
place
in
that
people
group
I
think
we
know
that
very
well
I
do
it's
the
teenager
who
follows
Christ
as long
as it
doesn't
cost
them
anything
with
their
friends
at
school
they
do
whatever
it
takes
to
stay
in
the
group
it's
the
uni
student
who
follows
Christ
as long
as their
place
in the
group
is not
at
stake
it's
the
worker
who
goes
along
with
the
gossip
in
the
workplace
for
fear
of
their
own
reputation
it's
the
person
who
needs
constant
interest
from the
opposite
sex
to feel
affirmed
it's
the
class
clown
it's
the
know-it-all
it's
those
who
have
to
look
good
all
the
time
it's
the
career
obsessed
it's
even
the
preacher
who
cares
more
what
people
think
of
them
than
what
people
think
of
Christ
not
taking
any
step
that
would
threaten
your
position
in
the
people
you
belong
to
like
usual
we
settle
for
less
we
settle
for
a
fake
imitation
of
what
we're
truly
created
for
and
the
dangerous
thing
for
ourselves
is that
it
gets
in
the
way
of
belonging
to
God
and
knowing
his
love
and
his
rejoicing
over
us
gets
in the
way
of us
living
for
him
and
the
damaging
thing
to
God's
reputation
and
the
damaging
thing
to
others
being
able
to
see
God
through
us
is that
like the
Jews
it
undermines
our
witness
to
the
all
surpassing
goodness
of
belonging
to
Jesus
of
knowing
the
Father's
love
for
us
Jesus
has
promised
in
verse
26
if
anyone
serves
me
the
father
will
honour
him
well
done
good
and
faithful
servant
come
and share
in your
master's
happiness
praise
they
will be
good
words
to
hear
it's
not that you
shouldn't
seek praise
at all
just
seek the
right
praise
which
one
will you
seek
and
this
isn't a
small
issue
it's
because
of
everyone's
lack
of
love
for
the
praise
that
comes
from
God
that
Jesus
needed
to
die
if
anyone
was
going
to
live
it's
not a
small
issue
you
are
going
to
constantly
be
witnessing
to
everyone
around
you
which
one
you
think
is
more
desirable
which
one
you
think
is
worth
striving
for
God's
reputation
is
at
stake
others
seeing
Christ
through
you
so
that
they
might
have
life
in
God
is
at
stake
your
joy
and
salvation
in
seeing
Christ
is
greater
than
what
this
world
has
to
offer
is
at
stake
Jesus
isn't
exaggerating
when he
calls us
to
hate
our
life
in
this
world
well
done
good
and
faithful
servant
so
we may
question
why God
doesn't
make
himself
clearer
we
see
so
many
people
who
are
blind
to
Jesus
but
that's
as
God
said
it
would
be
and
we
see
others
who
believe
but
they
show
by
the
way
they
live
that
this
world
is
worth
having
more
than
God
and
so
Jesus
makes
a
final
public
tender
appeal
look
and see
and
receive
everlasting
life
whoever
believes
in me
believes
not in
me
but in
him
who
sent
me
and
whoever
sees
me
sees
him
who
sent
me
for
I
have
not
spoken
on
my
own
authority
but
the
father
who
sent
me
has
given
him
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
it
almost
sounds
like
Jesus
is
distancing
himself
from
his
message
don't
look
at
me
I'm
just
saying
what
I've
been
told
to
say
take
it
up
with
the
father
he's
not
ashamed
of
the
message
he
is
the
message
he's
not
ashamed
of
it
and
anyone
who
believes
receives
eternal
life
so
what's
he
pointing
out
here
Jesus
entire
ministry
all
this
time
he
has
been
serving
the
command
he
received
from
God
the
father
every
word
what
to
say
what
to
speak
the
father
himself
no
one
else
has
told
him
what
to
say
therefore
to
hear
Jesus
words
is
to
hear
the
father
to
believe
in
Jesus
is
to
believe
in
the
father
to
reject
Jesus
is
to
reject
the
father
to
know
the
love
of
Jesus
is
to
know
the
love
of
the
father
whatever
other
way
you
think
you
know
God
it
is
bogus
it
is
rubbish
if
you
bypass
Jesus
therefore
it's
right
that
if
you
reject
Jesus
words
it's
Jesus
words
that
will
judge
you
on
the
last
day
how
you
respond
to
Jesus
words
is
how
you
treat
God
these
words
we've
been
studying
in
John's
gospel
are
not
only
evidence
that
point
to
a
conclusion
the
words
themselves
reveal
Jesus
and
because
they
reveal
Jesus
they
show
us
the
father
if
you
see
Jesus
if
you
listen
to
him
you
see
God
you
know
God
I
have
come
into
the
world
as
light
so
that
whoever
believes
in
me
may
not
remain
in
darkness
you
and
every
person
is
born
into
this
world
in
a
natural
state
of
darkness
not
knowing
God
not
wanting
to
know
God
but
Jesus
has
come
as
the
light
to
make
God
known
he
didn't
come
to
judge
he
came
to
save
you
this
is
eternal
life
says
Jesus
that
you
that
they
know
you
the
only
true
God
and
Jesus
Christ
whom
you
sent
do
you
see
him
let
me
finish
by
showing
you
a
man
who
had
eyes
to
see
we
pick
up
the
story
with
a
man
born
blind
whom
Jesus
healed
when
he's
being
interrogated
by
the
Pharisees
and
he
knows
that
anyone
who
confesses
Jesus
as
the
Christ
is
going
to
get
kicked
out
of
the
synagogue
the
man
answered
them
why
this
is
an
amazing
thing
you
do
not
know
where
he
comes
from
and
yet
he
opened
my
eyes
we
know
that
God
does
not
listen
to
sinners
but
if
anyone
is
a
worshipper
of
God
and
does
his
will
God
listens
to
him
never
since
the
world
began
has
it
been
heard
that
anyone
opened
the
eyes
of
a
man
born
blind
if
this
man
were
not
from
God
he
could
do
nothing
they
answered
him
you
were
born
in
utter
sin
and
would
you
teach
us
and
they
cast
him
out
Jesus
heard
that
they
had
cast
him
out
and
having
found
him
he
said
do
you
believe
in
the
son
of
man
he
answered
and
who
is
he
sir
that
I
may
believe
in
him
Jesus
said
to
him
you
have
seen
him
and
it
is
he
who
is
speaking
to
you
he
said
Lord
I
believe
and
he
worshipped
him
he
had
eyes
to
see
do
you
see
him
the
light
has
come
into
the
world
making
the
invisible
God
known
will
you
remain
in
darkness
waiting
for
judgment
because
you
prefer
this
world
to
knowing
God
or
will
you
receive
the
welcome
from
the
father
because
you
want
true
life
knowing
Jesus
as
you
look
at
Jesus
as
you
hear
his
words
do
you
see