This morning as we come to God's Word, we're continuing on in the story of Jesus according to John.
So if you have your Bible with you, you can open it up to John chapter 12, verse 44.
John chapter 12, verse 44.
Let's just start by reading the first few verses here.
Then Jesus cried out,
Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.
The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
The first thing that we want to consider this morning is when and where Jesus said this.
Notice that just before this, John has been the one doing the talking.
He's been explaining a little bit of what's going on.
And here in verse 44, John just kind of jumps right back into the story of Jesus with,
Then or now, Jesus cried out.
There doesn't seem to be a specific occasion to these words of Jesus.
But we know from earlier in the chapter that this takes place sometime between the triumphal entry.
And looking ahead, we can see that it happens just before the Last Supper in chapter 13.
And it seems from the way Jesus speaks and what he says that this is a public address.
Notice the language.
Jesus cried out.
That kind of fits with speaking to the crowds.
And then finally, we notice the kinds of things that Jesus is saying.
All of them are quite focused around believing in him and accepting his words.
So it's likely that Jesus is somewhere in Jerusalem, perhaps at the temple courts.
And it's quite possible that these are sort of Jesus' last words to the crowds, to the public,
before his betrayal and arrest.
So what does Jesus have to say to the people here in Jerusalem just a day or two before his hour comes?
What might be some of his last words to them?
Well, this is it right here in verse 44 down to 50.
And what may surprise us a little is that almost nothing that Jesus says here is really new.
If you've been following closely with John through this gospel,
you'll notice that he's pretty much said all this stuff already,
maybe a little bit different words.
But given that this is Jesus' maybe last opportunity to speak to the public,
to speak to the crowds like this,
we would do well to listen one more time.
It's often what's most important that rises to the surface when time is short.
So what will Jesus leave the crowds with in these last moments before his suffering comes?
Jesus starts by making one of his greatest claims,
a claim he's made before, but with different words.
Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only,
but in the one who sent me.
The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.
We've heard Jesus talk a lot about the one who sent him,
and by now it's no secret who Jesus means.
I think we all know, but just to refresh our memories,
we can look back to chapter 10, verse 36.
Jesus said there,
What about the one who the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world?
Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy?
Because I said I am God's Son.
So we know exactly who Jesus is talking about when he refers to the one who sent him.
He's talking about God, the Father, his Father.
But now look at what Jesus is claiming about himself and God, the one who sent him.
Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.
The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.
All the Jewish people of Jesus' day know that they are to have faith in God.
They know that they are to put their trust in God,
that they are to believe him, just like Abraham did all those years ago.
But now here is a man standing in front of them saying,
The one who believes in me believes in God.
The one who puts their faith in me puts their faith in God.
The one who trusts me trusts God.
This is a huge claim.
And Jesus is not just claiming to be an ambassador here.
I mean, look at what he follows this up with.
He says,
The one who sees me sees the one who sent me.
In other words,
The one who sees me, says Jesus,
sees God.
The one who looks at me, says Jesus,
is looking at God, the one who sent me.
Jesus is claiming to be much more than an ambassador,
much more than just a third-party representative.
And there's really only one way to make sense of his claim here,
and it's to recall what he said earlier about his relationship with the Father.
Think back to John 10, verse 30,
where he said,
I and the Father are one.
And then moments later,
at that same time,
in verse 37 of chapter 10,
he said,
Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father.
But if I do them,
even though you do not believe me,
believe the works that you may know and understand
that the Father is in me,
and I am in the Father.
Father,
what has Jesus been claiming?
Oneness with God.
He's been claiming that God is in him,
and that he is in God.
So much so that they are one.
So much so that Jesus,
the man,
can say back in John chapter 8, verse 58,
Before Abraham was born,
I am.
Taking up the very name of God
as his own.
A claim that only God can make,
and it wasn't blasphemy.
This is what Jesus is getting at here
in John chapter 12, verse 44.
It's as though he's saying,
I am so one with God, my Father,
that if you look at me,
you are looking at God,
the one who sent me.
If you are seeing me,
you are seeing him.
It's an amazing reality
that this man who walked among us,
when they saw him,
they saw God
walking among them.
And all of this is not really a surprise to us.
I mean,
John has told us this
right from the beginning of his gospel.
He explained where Jesus came from.
You'll remember those words.
John 1, 1,
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
And verse 14,
The Word became flesh,
and dwelt among us,
and we have seen his glory.
John told us right from the beginning
what Jesus is saying here now.
This is certainly no ordinary man
walking here,
speaking here,
among us.
He's not even just a special chosen man
like Noah,
or Abraham,
or Moses.
This is God here
among us,
with us,
in this man Jesus.
The divine Son of God.
Mysteriously,
he shares
the essence
of Yahweh,
the Lord.
somehow,
beyond our understanding,
he is a distinct person
from the Father,
and a full-blooded human being,
and at the same time,
is truly
the Lord.
Yahweh,
the one and only God.
the Apostle Paul said it this way
in his letter to
the church at Colossae.
In Colossians 2.9,
he said,
For in Christ,
all the fullness
of the deity
lives
in bodily form.
He said in
chapter 1,
verse 15
of that same letter,
the Son is the image
of the invisible God.
Hebrews 1,
verse 3,
the Son is the radiance
of God's glory
and the exact
representation
of his being.
This is what Jesus
is getting at
when he says,
The one who sees
me
sees
the one
who sent me.
He is in me.
I am in him.
We are one.
Let's come back
for a second
to Jesus'
first statement here.
The one who believes
in me
does not believe
in me only,
but in the one
who sent me.
It's not as though
God
and this man,
Jesus,
are somehow
at odds
with each other.
It's not as though
you can only put your faith
in one of them
at a time.
Some people
might be thinking,
well,
we either listen
to you,
Jesus,
or we listen
to God.
Jesus is saying,
that distinction
does not apply
in my case.
The one who listens
to me
listens to the one
who sent me.
The one who believes
in me
believes in God,
my Father,
who sent me.
By putting your faith
in me,
says Jesus,
you are putting
your faith
in the one
who sent me,
in God,
Yahweh,
the Creator.
this is the first
and greatest claim
of Jesus
in this moment
and it's something
he wants people
to know
before he goes
to his hour
of suffering.
Jesus doesn't
stop there,
however.
He has more
to say.
Verse 46,
I have come
into the world
as a light
that no one
who believes
in me
should stay
in darkness.
darkness.
Again,
this is something
Jesus has said
before.
He's already
claimed twice
publicly,
I am the light
of the world.
John introduced
Jesus back
at the beginning
of the gospel
as the light
of all mankind.
The true light,
the light that was
coming into the world
and we've talked
about how
Jesus does
what light does.
He dispels
the darkness.
He pushes
back the
ignorance.
He reveals
the truth
of how things
really are.
He exposes
the corruption
and the evil
in the lives
and hearts
of people.
And we've heard
quite a few times
about the condition
of people
in our world
generally,
how they hate
the light,
how they love
the darkness
and only a few
it seems
come into the light.
Well here Jesus
comes back
to this familiar
metaphor yet again.
I have come
into the world
as a light
so that no one
who believes in me
should remain
in darkness.
Let's think
about these words.
What is the condition
of you and me
before Jesus,
the light,
comes into the world?
I mean Jesus,
he tells us right here
why he came
as light
into the world
so that we
should not
or would not
remain in darkness.
There's an implication
here.
Without Jesus,
who is the light
that came into the world,
what would be
our situation?
We'd be stuck
in darkness.
And darkness here
mainly refers
to ignorance,
to not knowing
the truth
that we need
to know.
Imagine
for a moment
that you are
working in the mines
and you've gone
down this mine
shaft
deep into the earth.
Let's just say
it's to inspect
a piece of
failed equipment
that you're
an expert in
and you're down
there at the end
of an elaborate
network of tunnels
all by yourself
working on this thing
when all of a sudden
the ground
begins to shake
and the lights
go out.
Whatever was
generating electricity
for your lights
fails
as part of this
large network
collapses.
You find yourself
trapped
in a rather
small end
of this tunnel.
And by the time
you manage
to dig your way
through the debris
to the next
open section
of tunnel,
your headlamp
is dead.
your phone
is dead.
And there's
nothing you can do
but grope around
in the dark.
And you feel
and you hunt
and you crawl
around on all
fours for hours
but no matter
how hard you try
you can't find
a way out.
You have no idea
which way is north,
south,
east,
west.
You hear nothing.
You see nothing.
You can't even see
your hand right in
front of your face.
It's pitch black
because there is
no light.
Could it be
that all the exits
are blocked
by the rubble
from the cave-in
and that you'll
never find a way
of escape?
Or could it be
that after days
of searching
you still haven't
found the one
open passageway
that leads back
to the surface?
This is a picture.
This is a parable
of our situation
in this world.
We are stuck
in darkness,
lost,
because of our
sins,
because of our
rebellion against
God.
And without the
light of Christ
to show us
the way out,
we will remain
there.
We will never
find the way out.
We will never
escape.
We will remain
there in the
darkness until
the day that we
perish.
Christ Jesus
has come
to give us
the light,
to give us
the truth
that we need
to be saved
so that we
can escape.
Do you want
to escape
the darkness?
Do you want
to know what
life is like
on the surface?
What everything
was meant to be
like back when
the world was
young,
before any
taint of
corruption
had entered
this world?
Jesus is the
light that has
come into
the world,
sent from the
Father up
above,
and he does
not want
anyone to
be stuck,
to remain,
to be lost
in the
darkness.
He says,
I came so
that all who
believe in
me should
not remain
in darkness.
But notice
who it is
that escapes
the darkness.
According to
Jesus,
it's all
who believe
in me.
Do you
believe in
Jesus?
From here,
Jesus tells
us what will
happen if we
do not.
Verse 47,
if anyone
hears my
words but
does not
keep them,
I do not
judge that
person.
For I did
not come to
judge the
world,
but to
save the
world.
There is
a judge
for the
one who
rejects
me and
does not
accept my
words.
The very
words I
have spoken
will condemn
them at
the last
day.
These are
sobering
words.
We may
choose not
to keep the
words of
Jesus.
We may
choose not
to obey
him.
We may
choose not
to accept
the things
that he's
been saying.
we may
choose to
reject
him.
But if
that's
you,
this is
what Jesus
wants you
to know.
He says,
I did
not come,
at least
not in
this first
time that
he came.
I did
not come
to judge
you,
but to
save you.
but on
the last
day,
my words
which you
rejected
and tossed
away,
the things
that I
said and
you heard,
they will
become the
thing which
judges you,
the thing
which leads
to your
condemnation.
And here's
why,
says Jesus,
because my
words,
everything that
I've been
saying to
you,
it doesn't
just come
from me.
They are
in fact the
very words
that God
has commanded
me to
say to
you.
There is a
judge for
the one who
rejects me
and does
not accept
my words.
The very
words I
have spoken
will condemn
them at
the last
day.
For I
did not
speak on
my own,
but the
Father who
sent me
commanded me
to say all
that I
have spoken.
I know
that his
command leads
to eternal
life.
So whatever
I say is
just what the
Father has
told me to
say.
In other
words,
if you
choose to
disregard
Jesus,
to reject
him,
it's not
just the
words of a
man named
Jesus that
you are
disregarding
and rejecting.
It's the
words of
God that
you are
disregarding
and rejecting.
And it
will come
back to
you on
the last
day at
your trial
when you
stand before
the judge,
says Jesus.
I hope you
hear these
sobering words
of Jesus.
This life is
not a game.
It's not
just about
fun and
games.
I mean,
we're on a
collision course,
all of us,
a sinking
ship.
We're not
free to do
as we
please.
God has
spoken
through
Jesus.
He has
showed us
the way
to escape
and to
be saved.
And there
are grave
consequences
for ignoring
and rejecting
Jesus and
what God
has said
through him.
You will
go down
with the
ship.
You will
arrive at
your trial
only to
find out
that you've
already sealed
your fate
if you
rejected and
tossed away
the words
of Christ
that you
heard.
finally,
at the
end here,
we come
full circle
back to
where we
started.
We heard
Jesus claim
at the
beginning
to have
oneness
with the
Father.
The one
who believes
in me
believes in
the one
who sent
me,
he said.
The one
who sees
me
sees the
one who
sent me.
And now
here,
Jesus tells
us pretty
clearly a
little different
wording.
The one
who hears
my words
hears the
words of
the Father
who sent
me.
You may
have heard
this already
but I love
this.
I find it
so deeply
fascinating.
Do you
realize
that the
words of
Jesus,
the message
of Jesus
is not
his own?
Do you
know where
Jesus gets
this teaching
from that's
been amazing
people for
the past
three years
in this
story?
does it
surprise you
to hear
that everything
Jesus says
is what
God has
commanded him
to say?
I mean,
isn't that
something?
I only
say what
my Father
has commanded
me to say.
I love
this.
It's
fascinating
to me.
Jesus does
not have
an independent
ministry.
Jesus is
accountable
for every
word that
he speaks
and teaches.
At the
very least,
he functions
in his
teaching just
like the
prophets of
old did.
Let me
show you
this quickly
in a couple
of places
because this
might sound
a little
strange to
us.
I mean,
what do
you mean
Jesus when
you say
that everything
you say,
the Father
has commanded
you to
say all
these things?
Think back
to the story
of Jonah.
A familiar
story we
all know.
First verses
of the book
of Jonah.
The word
of the Lord
came to
Jonah son
of Amittai.
Go to
the great
city of
Nineveh
and preach
against it
because its
wickedness
has come
up before
me.
God
commanded
the prophets
like Jonah
to speak
on his
behalf and
it would
appear at
least for
the prophets
of old that
it was
possible for
them to
disobey.
Jonah
did.
He got
on a
ship and
started
sailing the
opposite
direction
but God
wouldn't
take no
for an
answer from
Jonah
and he
brought him
right back
and he
commanded him
a second
time in
chapter 3
verses 1
and 2
then the
word of
the Lord
came to
Jonah a
second time
go to
the great
city of
Nineveh
and proclaim
to it
the message
I give
you.
So Jonah
was commanded
not only to
go but
also to
proclaim
specifically
the message
that God
gave him
and of
course as
the story
goes this
time Jonah
went and
he said
what God
told him
to say
and this
is how it
works with
the prophets
they didn't
just make up
the stuff
that they
said God
commanded
them to
say specific
things to
the people
consider Isaiah
familiar passage
Isaiah chapter 6
verse 9
God said
to Isaiah
go and
tell this
people
be ever
hearing
but never
understanding
be ever
seeing
but never
perceiving
notice here
again that
God
commanded
Isaiah to
go and
speak on
his behalf
but he also
commanded Isaiah
precisely what
to say to
the people
like the
exact words
say this
or we
could look
at Jeremiah
the Lord
said to
Jeremiah
chapter 11
verse 3
tell them
the people
of Judah
that this
is what
the Lord
the God
of Israel
says
cursed
is the
one who
does not
obey the
terms of
this
covenant
the terms
I commanded
your ancestors
when I brought
them out of
Egypt
out of the
iron smelting
furnace
again
God
command
commanded
Jeremiah
exactly
what words
to speak
on his
behalf
to the
people
in the
same
chapter
just a
little
further
down
the
page
at
verse 6
the Lord
said to
Jeremiah
proclaim
all these
words
in the
towns
of Judah
and in
the
streets
of
Jerusalem
and then
he gives
the words
listen to
the terms
of this
covenant
and he
goes
on
Ezekiel
chapter
34
verse 1
and 2
same
thing
the word
of the
Lord
came to
me
says
Ezekiel
son
of
man
prophesy
against
the
shepherds
of
Israel
prophesy
and say
to them
this is
what the
sovereign
Lord
says
woe
to you
shepherds
of Israel
who only
take care
of yourselves
again
God
commanded
Ezekiel
exactly
what
words
to say
on
his
behalf
to the
people
this is
how it
worked
with
Moses
at least
16
times
by a
rough
count
this
week
that I
did
God
said
to
Moses
say
to
the
Israelites
or
say
to
Pharaoh
and
then
he
gave
Moses
the
exact
words
to
say
there's
another
20
times
through
Leviticus
and there's
a few
more
in
numbers
say
to
the
Israelites
and God
gave
them
the
exact
words
to
say
this
was
the
mark
of
a
true
prophet
of
the
Lord
they
literally
heard
the
voice
of
God
speaking
to
them
in
their
heads
all
the
time
throughout
their
ministries
as
often
as
the
Lord
wanted
to
say
something
to
the
people
you
may
remember
this
with
Samuel
the
boy
who
came
to
live
at
the
tabernacle
in
Shiloh
back
in
the
days
just
he
was
there
and
you
might
remember
the
story
of
how
God
called
out
to
him
in
the
night
he
didn't
know
who
it
was
at
first
the
Lord
spoke
to
Samuel
and
we
read
in
1
Samuel
chapter
3
verse
19
that
the
Lord
was
with
Samuel
as
he
grew
up
and
he
let
none
of
Samuel's
words
fall
to
the
ground
why
was
it
that
none
of
Samuel's
words
fell
to
everything
Samuel
predicted
and said
came true
because
God
knows
the
future
and
God
was
the
one
telling
Samuel
exactly
what
to
say
to
the
people
so
what
we
hear
from
Jesus
is
not
a
new
thing
that's
happening
he
said
for
I
did
not
speak
on
my
own
but
the
father
who
sent
me
commanded
me
to
say
all
that
I
have
spoken
so
whatever
I
say
is
just
what
the
father
has
told
me
to
say
Jesus
served
God
as
a
prophet
which
doesn't
just
mean
that
he
made
predictions
it
means
primarily
that
he
spoke
on
God's
behalf
to
the
people
telling
them
exactly
what
God
commanded
him
to
say
to
them
it
means
that
just
like
the
prophets
of
old
Jesus
too
heard
the
voice
of
his
father
in
his
head
all
the
time
I
would
argue
even
more
so
because
he's
the
very
son
of
God
and
unlike
the
prophets
of
old
has
this
deep
unity
and
oneness
with
the
father
Jesus
is
the
ultimate
prophet
it's
not
just
a
cool
thing
that
we
hear
in
Bible
college
and
systematic
theology
textbooks
that's
what
Jesus
is
telling
us
right
here
my
words
to
you
all
of
them
are
God's
words
to
you
well
what do
we do
with all
this
many
Christians
today are
excited about
Bible
prophecy
mainly
because they
believe that
all kinds of
Bible prophecies
that were
unfulfilled
in the
past
are
being
fulfilled
today
in our
day
and current
events
and what
we read
in the
news
and at
the root
of some
of this
excitement
I think
is the
sincere love
of discovery
the sincere
desire to
figure out
just what
those prophecies
in the Bible
point to
for others
it's just
a sincere
desire
to
see what
we long
for
the Lord
to come
back
to return
the end
to be
here
that is
our hope
after all
but we
need to
be careful
here
because the
excitement
for some
is mainly
in the
unfulfilled
prophecies
in the
future
prophecies
in the
words of
prophecy
that
predict
as if
the other
words of
prophecy
that don't
predict
are just
kind of
old
and boring
what do
we learn
from Jesus
here
we learn
that every
word that
Jesus spoke
is prophecy
all of
his words
are the
words of
God
that's the
biblical
definition
of a
prophet
what if
we were
as excited
today
about
everything
that Jesus
said
as we are
about the
things that
pertain to
the future
what if we
gave the
same
attention to
the
commands
of
Christ
today
as we
give to
the words
Christ spoke
about the
end times
if every
word that
Jesus spoke
is prophecy
is from
God
shouldn't we
deeply love
and treasure
all his
words
and not
just the
ones that
tickle our
fancy
this is one
thing that we
can take from
Jesus words
but more
importantly
I hope
we hear the
fullness of
what Jesus is
claiming
in this last
perhaps public
address
before his
hour of
suffering
imagine that
you're there
in the crowd
listening to
Jesus cry
out
what does
Jesus want
you to
know
what does
he want
you to
believe
before he
goes to
the cross
he wants
you to
know that
he is
one
with his
father
and that
in him
you are
seeing
God
the one
who sent
him
he wants
you to
know that
he is
the light
in this
dark world
that we
live in
he is the
reliable
source of
truth
that has
come from
outside of
our world
to light
the way
for us
Jesus wants
you to
know that
if you do
not receive
and believe
his words
today
your rejection
of his
words will
seal your
fate
on the
last day
and finally
Jesus wants
you to know
that God
has much
to say
to you
and that
every word
that he has
been speaking
for these
past three
years
has been
the very
words
God
commanded
him
to say
to us
do you
believe
what Jesus
is saying
to you
do you
believe
that Jesus
is
God
in human
flesh
walking
here
speaking
here
among
us
this is
why we
don't
hesitate
to worship
this man
Jesus
because he
is God
he is
the light
he is
the way
he is
the truth
he is
the life
and so
much more
let's pray
father in
heaven
we bow
before you
we're in
awe of
what you
have done
in sending
your son
to save
us
we barely
even fully
understand
how
trapped
and lost
we
were
but we
thank you
that Jesus
has come
to set
us free
and to
give us
life and
hope
for all
eternity
what an
awesome
gift
we don't
deserve it
but we
say thank
you and
we praise
you for
your love
for your
grace
I pray
Lord
we pray
that you
would give
ears to
the people
in this
community
to hear
these words
of Christ
this plea
of Christ
on our
lips
we ask
this in
his name
amen
okay
yeah