Well, sometimes as we're reading our Bibles, we come to passages that are difficult.
And as I've said before, there's different reasons for why they're difficult.
The Bible was originally written in different languages,
and so sometimes translation makes it difficult, bringing that over into English.
Other times the translation is good, but it's what's spoken about that's difficult to understand.
God tells us about spiritual realities, being born again by the Spirit, how the Holy Spirit works in our lives.
And sometimes those things are difficult for us to get our heads around.
But sometimes it's not an issue of translation or understanding what the passage says.
It's that the passage itself and what it says is difficult to accept.
Maybe it offends us.
Or it says something that we don't really like or don't want to hear.
Well, we are the Davidson Community Bible Church,
and we do believe that God has spoken through these pages, every word.
And He doesn't make mistakes.
So when we get to those passages, we come with a little bit of fear and trembling,
but we've got to take our time to stop and to listen and consider what the Lord has said to us.
So that's one of those passages that we've got before us today.
We're in the story of Jesus as told by John.
We're still in John chapter 12.
If you have a Bible with you, I won't have anything on the screen this morning.
I didn't get time to do that, but ask if you just follow along in your Bible.
There's also the pew Bibles in front of you, the black books in the seats there.
And here's where we're at in the story.
Jesus has just come into Jerusalem.
Triumphal entry.
Most of you know the story.
And it's the final week leading up to his death.
And he's had a conversation with some of the people, the Jews, there in the city,
which we've been following along in chapter 12.
And last week we heard about how he was pleading with them
to believe in the light while they have the light,
while they have the opportunity, before that window of opportunity closes.
And this is the end of that conversation.
John tells us how it ended in verse 36 of John chapter 12.
When Jesus had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
So we don't really know where Jesus went,
but if we look at the other Gospels, we can kind of piece things together.
During this week leading up to his death,
Jesus would come into the city of Jerusalem during the day.
And he would teach the people.
He would speak to the people.
And then oftentimes in the evening, he would make his way out of the city.
And there's a couple different places he would hang out with,
oftentimes his disciples.
The Mount of Olives, some of the gardens and groves around there.
And then eventually probably make his way out to Bethany,
where maybe he stayed.
We don't know for sure if he slept at the house of Mary and Martha and Lazarus.
But that was kind of his pattern.
So Jesus has been in the spotlight.
He's come into the city.
There's been this discussion with the crowds.
And now he goes off the radar, but not for long,
just probably for the evening.
And we'll see him again soon.
But John now takes a moment to kind of step back and address us,
the people who are reading his account,
and give us some help to understand what's going on here.
I mean, we just heard Jesus talking to this crowd.
And in the midst of this, or right leading into this conversation,
God spoke in an audible voice to Jesus.
And we might be wondering,
how is it that the people could hear that
and walk away from that and still not believe?
Well, John is now going to tell us a little bit
and try to give us some help to understand
what's really going on here between Jesus and the people.
Verse 37.
John writes this,
Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence,
they still would not or did not believe in him.
Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence,
they still would not believe in him.
This is quite the statement.
And in the original language,
which is a little bit more flexible with word order,
they would often emphasize things
by just moving it right up to the front of the sentence.
And what's emphasized here is so many.
Even after Jesus had performed so many signs,
John says,
in their presence.
Let's think about that for a moment.
In their presence.
Literally, in front of them, before them.
In the sight of them.
Now, this doesn't mean, of course,
that each person there was hovering right over top of Jesus
as he performed each miracle.
But it does mean that these things were close enough to them,
that they were done openly enough,
that virtually everybody in Jerusalem
probably knows somebody
who has been affected by the miracles that Jesus did,
by the signs that he performed,
by the healings.
John's already told us about three people
in his gospel
in Jerusalem or the vicinity.
We heard about the man at the Pool of Bethesda
who couldn't walk for 38 years.
Jesus healed him.
We heard about the man who had been born blind
in John chapter 9.
Jesus gave him sight.
And then we heard, just recently,
about Lazarus,
who lived in Bethany,
just outside the city.
Many of the people in Jerusalem
had been to his funeral.
And there were also a crowd of them
who were out there
that witnessed his resurrection from the dead.
So that's just three.
But John says,
not just three,
but so many signs in their presence.
It reminds me of what we read
way back near the beginning.
John chapter 2,
verse 32.
Sorry.
John chapter 2, verse 23.
This was three years ago.
At the Passover in Jerusalem,
at the very beginning of Jesus' ministry,
it says this,
Now while he was in Jerusalem
at the Passover festival,
many people saw the signs he was performing
and believed in his name.
So the people of Jerusalem
are no strangers
to what Jesus has been doing.
It's not as though they just
heard about the signs.
Oh yeah, way over in Galilee
he did that.
No, right here in Jerusalem,
Jesus had been performing signs.
Nicodemus was one of the religious leaders
who saw them.
We know that you are a man
who has come from God
because who could perform
do the things you're doing
if God were not with him,
he said.
In fact,
when we bring all the gospel accounts together,
we see that Jesus
has been doing
so many signs,
so many miracles,
so many healings,
it's just,
you couldn't even begin
to number them.
I mean, consider this,
when people started
to go out to him,
he would heal them,
word was spreading,
this was back in the early days
of Jesus,
more people would hear about that
and if they had some kind of malady,
they were going out,
people were flocking out to Jesus
from all over the nation.
It says in Matthew 4,
verse 23,
he was healing
all their diseases,
all their sicknesses,
with the exception of
Nazareth,
Jesus' hometown,
where it says he only did
a few miracles,
and with the couple times
where the Pharisees
came right up to his face
and said,
show us a sign
and then we'll believe.
And of course,
Jesus wouldn't do it then.
With the exception
of those two things,
Jesus has been doing
miracles,
healings,
signs,
left,
right,
and center.
In Galilee,
in Jerusalem,
wherever he goes,
this is the picture
that we get
from the Gospels.
John chapter 7,
verse 31.
Even in Jerusalem,
they acknowledge this.
still,
many in the crowd
believed in him.
They said,
when the Messiah comes,
will he perform
more signs
than this man?
In other words,
like how many more
do we need to see?
Like,
it's obvious,
isn't it?
How many would we expect
the Messiah to do?
He's done so many.
Even the religious leaders
could not deny
that Jesus had done
many signs.
They too
witnessed some of them.
John chapter 11,
verse 47.
At the meeting
of the Sanhedrin,
they asked,
what are we accomplishing?
Here is this man
performing
many signs.
Isn't that something?
even Jesus' opponents
admitted
that he'd been
not just,
you know,
a couple different
recoveries,
coincidentally,
for different people.
Many signs,
they said.
We might wonder,
well,
why did John
only tell us
about a few
that he's done
in Jerusalem?
Well,
as we hear
at the very end
of the book
of John,
chapter 20,
verse 30,
Jesus performed
many other signs
in the presence
of his disciples
which are not
recorded in this book.
And again,
at the very end
of the gospel,
the last thing
John tells us,
Jesus did many
other things as well.
If every one of them
were written down,
I suppose that even
the whole world
would not have room
for the books
that would be written.
And so,
John is not
exaggerating
when he says
so many signs
were done
in their presence.
Miracles,
healings,
probably everybody
there in Jerusalem
knew of at least
one person,
if not,
had, you know,
a direct connection
to some person
who had been touched
by the life
of Jesus,
by the healing
of Jesus.
And yet,
this is the sad
statement
that John
gives us.
They still
would not
believe in him.
Literally,
it's did not.
They still
did not
believe in him.
What a sad
statement.
We might wonder,
why?
How could this be?
You might think
of yourself
in their shoes,
like if I was
seeing all these
things,
I'd believe.
We're a little
biased because
most of us
already believe
in Jesus.
How could it be
that they saw
all those miracles
of Jesus,
healings,
signs,
and yet did not
believe,
would not
listen to him?
Well,
John
actually
gives an answer
here in verse
38 to 40.
And this is where
it gets difficult.
They still
would not
believe in him.
Verse 38,
this was to
fulfill the word
of Isaiah the prophet,
Lord,
who has believed
our message?
And to whom
has the arm of the Lord
been revealed?
So John
tells us that
people did not
believe Jesus
in order that
prophecy would be
fulfilled.
Really,
there's two ways
to take that.
How do those
thoughts link
together?
There's two ways.
In order that,
or so that,
the word that
Isaiah spoke
long ago
would be fulfilled.
Or some people,
not the majority,
but some people
suggest that
it's,
they did not
believe with
the result
that the word
of Isaiah the
prophet would
be fulfilled.
I think we
kind of gravitate
towards that,
that one a little
more.
It seems to get
God off the hook
a little bit.
The other,
in order that
the word of
the prophets
be fulfilled,
almost seems to
implicate God
a little bit.
It almost seems
to suggest that
maybe he was
working or
doing something
that he had
a purpose for
them not
believing in
all of this.
And so we
might,
we might wonder,
well,
what's going on?
What do you
mean here,
John?
Which one is
it?
If we keep
following what
John says,
though,
it probably
becomes pretty
clear.
I'm going to
read it again,
starting from
the top.
Even after
Jesus had
performed so
many signs in
their presence,
they still
did not
believe in
him.
This was to
fulfill the
word of
Isaiah the
prophet,
Lord,
who has
believed our
message?
And to
whom has
the arm of
the Lord
been revealed?
For this
reason,
says John,
they could
not believe
because,
as Isaiah
says elsewhere,
he has
blinded their
eyes and
hardened their
hearts,
so they can
neither see
with their
eyes nor
understand with
their hearts
nor turn.
And I
would heal
them.
This is
where the
passage gets
difficult.
Verse 39,
especially,
for this
reason,
says John,
they could
not believe.
They could
not believe.
You can
look it up
in all of
the major
English
translations.
It says the
same thing.
they could
not believe.
Christian
standard
Bible,
relatively new
translation,
it actually
says what
could not
means.
It says they
were unable
to believe.
believe.
And then the
reason.
Because,
as Isaiah
says,
he has
blinded
their eyes
and hardened
their hearts.
signs.
Maybe even
now the
questions are
starting to
rise in
your own
mind.
Well,
but what
about,
how,
what,
how could,
before we
get to the
questions,
are you
hearing what
John is
saying?
for this
reason,
they could
not believe.
That's the
people that
saw his
signs.
Because,
he has
blinded
their eyes
and hardened
their hearts.
Maybe the
first question
on your mind
is,
well,
would God
do that?
would he
send Jesus
with a
message,
and that
message is,
believe in
me,
and at the
same time,
harden the
hearts of
the people
that Jesus
was sent
to?
Blind the
eyes of the
people that
he was sent
to?
I mean,
what's going
on here?
I don't know
how else to
read this,
but it
seems that
that's what's
going on
here.
I mean,
look back
up to
verse 36.
Jesus is
there pleading
with the
people.
He's saying,
believe in
the light
while you
have the
light.
And then
just write
down the
page.
For this
reason,
they could
not believe.
Could not
believe.
Because he
has blinded
their eyes
and hardened
their hearts.
Is it
possible
that there's
more going
on here
between
Jesus
and the
people
than meets
the eye?
I think
so.
I think
so.
The question
is not,
would God
do it?
The question
is,
why?
We might
do well
to remember
that there's
another time
that God
has done
something like
this.
We've been
learning about
it with the
kids and
alive.
God sent
Moses to
Pharaoh.
Even before
he went,
I will
harden
Pharaoh's
heart.
And he
will not
say yes.
But still
give the
message.
Give the
command.
And he
did.
And Pharaoh
did exactly
what God
said he
would.
He hardened
his heart.
He refused
to obey.
And as the
plagues kept
coming,
at some
point you
would think,
man,
Pharaoh's
got to
get it
here.
But then
it starts
telling us
in those
latter
plagues,
it was
God who
was hardening
the heart
of Pharaoh,
making his
heart stubborn
so that he
would not
respond.
And yet
he still
sent Moses
each time
and said,
give him
the command,
let my
people go.
That's
strange,
isn't it?
He's
working on
both sides
of the
equation.
Is that
what's going
on here
with Jesus
and the
people?
I think
so.
But why?
Why would
God do
that?
I think
the key
comes as
we start
looking into
a little
bit of
Isaiah's
prophecy.
That's
who he
quotes,
the prophet
Isaiah.
So I
encourage you
to flip
back.
We're just
going to
look at it
a little
bit.
I'll
remind you
of the
story of
Isaiah a
little bit.
I'm not
going to
tell the
whole thing.
You probably
know the
story of
Israel.
As a
nation,
on the
whole,
they would
continually
turn away
from God.
And though
there was
times of
renewal and
revival,
where they
turned to
the Lord,
then they
would turn
away again.
And they
just kept
spiraling
downward,
further and
further away
from God.
The Ten
Commandments,
which we're
about to
learn about
and alive,
the Israelites
more and
more were
doing the
very opposite
of those
things.
Worshiping
other gods.
There was
corruption in
the leadership.
There was
wickedness all
over the
place.
God was
sending the
prophets to
plead with
the people,
to repent,
to turn
away from
their sin.
We're going
to look
actually at
2 Chronicles
36,
verse 15.
This just
tells the
end of the
story of
the era of
the kings.
This is
still a ways
after Isaiah
prophesied,
but this is
how it went.
It's a good
summary.
2 Chronicles
36,
15.
Yahweh,
the God
of their
ancestors,
sent word
to them
through his
messengers,
that's the
prophets,
again and
again,
because he
had pity
on his
people and
on his
dwelling place.
But they
mocked God's
messengers,
despised his
words,
and scoffed
at his
prophets until
the wrath of
Yahweh was
aroused against
his people,
and there was
no remedy.
He brought
up against
them the
king of
the Babylonians
who killed
their young
men with
the sword
in the
sanctuary,
and who
did not
spare young
men or
young women,
the elderly
or the
infirm.
God gave
them all
into the
hands of
Nebuchadnezzar.
Verse 19,
they set
fire to
God's temple
and broke
down the
wall of
Jerusalem.
They burned
all the
palaces and
destroyed
everything of
value there,
and the
survivors,
many of
them,
most of
them,
were carried
off into
exile.
Babylon.
Isaiah
came long
before this,
but do you
hear what the
word of the
Lord is saying?
It's not as
though God
wasn't patiently
pleading with
the people all
along.
He was.
He sent
prophet after
prophet,
but God was
saying to
them,
eventually there
will come a
time when
enough is
enough.
I will not
tolerate
wickedness and
sin forever.
That's what's
going on with
the story of
Isaiah.
Isaiah chapter
1 verse 18,
probably at the
beginning of
Isaiah's ministry,
Isaiah himself
even pleads with
the people to
repent.
God speaks
through him.
In Isaiah
1 verse 18,
he says,
Come now,
let us settle
the matter,
says the
Lord.
Though your
sins are like
scarlet,
they shall be
white as snow.
Though they are
red as crimson,
they shall be
like wool.
If you are
willing and
obedient,
you will eat
the good things
of the land.
But if you
resist and
rebel,
you will be
devoured by
the sword.
Even there
through Isaiah,
God was
pleading with
the people
saying,
Come,
repent,
humble yourself.
Let's settle
this.
I will forgive
you of all
the wicked
things you
have done.
You can
continue to
remain in
the land
even.
But if
not,
he gave
the warning,
there will
come a
time,
when enough
is enough.
Punishment
will come.
He's a
holy God.
He will
not tolerate
sin or
wickedness
forever.
And so
when we
come to
Isaiah
chapter 6,
this is
that moment
when enough
is enough.
Some of
you may
know the
story.
Isaiah
has a
vision of
the Lord
seated on
a throne
in glory.
I won't
go through
the whole
thing.
But at
some point
here,
the Lord
speaks to
Isaiah.
Or I
guess he
speaks just
generally and
asks the
question in
verse 8.
Then I
heard the
voice of
the Lord
saying,
whom shall
I send?
And who
will go
for us?
And I
said,
Isaiah,
here am I.
Send me.
Isaiah
volunteers,
verse 9,
go and
tell this
people,
be ever
hearing,
but never
understanding.
Be ever
seeing,
but never
perceiving.
Make the
heart of
this people
calloused.
Make their
ears dull
and close
their eyes.
Otherwise,
they might see
with their
eyes,
hear with
their ears,
understand with
their hearts,
and turn
and be
healed.
It's a
sobering
word.
This is your
assignment,
Isaiah.
This is your
mission.
The time has
come when
enough is
enough.
And this is
my judgment.
This is my
punishment.
Deaf ears,
blind eyes,
calloused
hearts.
Isaiah
says,
for how
long,
Lord?
And God
answers in
verse 11,
until the
cities lie
ruined and
without
inhabitant,
until the
houses are
left deserted
and the
fields ruined
and ravaged,
until the
Lord has
sent everyone
far away and
the land is
utterly forsaken.
And though a
tenth remains in
the land,
it will again
be laid
waste.
There's only a
glimmer of hope
that comes at
the end.
But as the
terebinth and
oak leave
stumps when
they are cut
down, so the
holy seed will
be the stump in
the land.
So there came
a time in
Israel's story
when eventually
God said,
enough is
enough.
There's no
turning back.
There's no
opportunity from
this point
forward to
repent and
to change
punishment.
It's coming
for your
sin.
And I think
this is what
John is talking
about.
He's saying
here in
John chapter
12,
the reason the
people here
that are
witnessing all
these signs
could not
believe,
were unable
to believe,
is because
God is doing
the same
thing here
and now
today,
in Jesus'
day,
with the
Jewish people
as he was
doing back
then.
it had
come about
that by
God's own
determination,
for many
of them,
the verdict
was enough
is enough.
now I don't
know how
that worked
for each
individual
person.
Maybe it
was on an
individual
basis.
Maybe some
of them,
they'd been
hearing the
preaching of
John the
baptizer,
and then
they just
made the
choice to
harden their
hearts.
No,
no,
no.
But eventually
comes that
moment where
God hardens
their hearts
and closes
the window
of opportunity
that they
have to
believe and
to respond.
We talked
about that a
little bit
last week.
Jesus is
pleading with
them,
believe in
the light
while you
have the
light.
There is a
window of
opportunity
for all
of us.
But it
seems that
that window
of opportunity
for some,
for the
Jewish people,
was closed
even in the
midst of
Jesus'
ministry.
Not for
all of
them.
You'll
remember how
John began
the gospel.
He said
that Jesus
came to
his own
and his
own did
not receive
him.
But as
many as
received him
who believed
in his name,
he gave the
right to
become children
of God.
So the
general,
on the
whole,
story of
Israel was
they rejected
their Messiah,
but not
everyone.
Not
everyone did.
One more
passage that
kind of
confirms or
brings this
into focus
well for
us is in
Romans chapter
11,
verse 7.
In fact,
all of
Romans 9-11
really digs
into this
issue,
the story
of Israel.
How is it
that God
is going to
keep his
promises and
his covenants
with Israel
and yet they
rejected the
Messiah?
Many of
them on
the whole.
That's the
whole topic
of this
section,
Romans 9-11.
We won't
look at it
all,
but just
jump in
in verse
7.
Listen to
this.
Paul says,
What then?
What the
people of
Israel sought
so earnestly
they did
not obtain.
The elect
among them
did,
but the
others were
hardened,
as it is
written.
God gave
them a
spirit of
stupor,
eyes that
could not
see,
and ears
that could
not hear
to this
very day.
Paul is
reflecting
back on
why did
all the
children of
Israel
reject the
Messiah?
He explains
that there
was a
remnant,
just like in
the Old
Testament days,
that was
chosen by
grace and
enabled to
see, to
believe, but
that the
others were
hardened.
A punishment
from God.
He was
saying enough
is enough.
The window
of opportunity,
at least in
that generation
for those
people, was
closed.
You could
think about
the kinds
of people
that Jesus
ran into
during his
ministry.
The Pharisees,
the leaders
of Israel,
corrupt.
They had
hard hearts
to Jesus.
It wasn't
that God
just out of
nowhere,
decided,
well, some
of you guys
are going
to get
mercy and
others not.
No, they
had had
opportunity,
and yet they
had been
resisting and
refusing to
listen all
along the
way.
And so it
seems that
what John is
saying here is
that even
as the signs
kept increasing,
Jesus kept
doing more,
it was obvious
right in front
of their
faces.
many of
them could
not believe
because God
had already
said enough
is enough
with some
in that
generation
and hardened
their hearts
and blinded
their eyes.
These are
sobering
words.
What's there
here for us?
I want to
draw us
back to
what we
talked about
last Sunday.
There is a
window of
opportunity for
each one of
us to put
our faith in
Jesus, to
respond to
God's gracious
offer of
salvation, his
plea to
believe.
all of us
have sinned,
we have all
done wrong,
none of us
deserves
salvation.
In fact, we
all deserve
the opposite.
And that
window,
it's really
God who
determines
how long
that will
stay open
for each
one of
us.
And I
think deep
down inside
we all
know that,
that window
closes, we
know for
sure when
we die,
there's no
opportunities
after we
die to
believe, to
receive
salvation.
But I
think we're
seeing here
that God
even has
the sovereign
right to
close that
window even
sooner in
our lives.
It's a
sobering
thought.
So what
do we do
with this?
Well, if
you're here
this morning
and you
have not
put your
faith in
Jesus and
received him
as your
Lord and
Savior, I
want to
encourage you,
today is
the day to
believe.
Not tomorrow,
not someday.
We don't know
how long we
have before
God closes
that door of
opportunity for
us.
As God
says elsewhere
in his word,
today if you
hear his
voice, do
not harden
your hearts.
Believe in
the light while
you have the
light so that
you may become
children of
light.
Most of us
here in this
room have made
that decision
already.
God
and I hope
that you
know that
because of
Jesus being
in Christ,
born of
his spirit,
you are
safe.
You are
secure.
This blinding
of eyes and
hardening of
hearts will
never come to
you.
Jesus paid the
punishment and
that covers you.
you are
secure forever.
But it
doesn't mean
that there is
no place for
fear, for
reverence towards
this holy God.
My mind kept
going back to
Philippians chapter
two verse
11 and we
will end with
this.
Sorry,
two verse
12.
Paul writes
this to the
believers in
Philippi.
Therefore, my
dear friends,
as you have
always obeyed,
not only in
my presence,
but now much
more in my
absence,
continue to
work out your
salvation with
fear and
trembling.
For it is
God who
works in
you to
will and
to act in
order to
fulfill his
good purpose.
even though
we are safe
and secure
in Christ,
let us
not forget
that we
have a
holy God
and we
ought not
to go on
doing the
things that
Christ died
to atone
for,
those sins,
those wicked
things.
Paul says,
continue to
obey.
God worked
in the
heart of
Pharaoh and
hardened it.
It seems
that he
also worked
in the
hearts of
some who
were listening
to Jesus
and hardened
them.
But,
to those of
us who are
in Christ,
it says that
God works
in us
to will
and to
act in
order to
fulfill his
good purpose.
we're not
on our
own in
this.
God is
the one
who enables
us,
gives us
power to
obey,
to do
what is
good,
to do
what is
right.
And so,
that's what I
take from
these words.
We have a
holy God,
a free
God,
a God
who graciously
gives us
chances again
and again
and again,
and yet a
God who
will not
put up
with sin
and wickedness
forever.
And so,
we should
tremble before
that.
We should.
Let's pray.
Father in
heaven,
thank you
for these
words.
I'll admit
on behalf
of everyone,
not the
words I
wanted to
hear at
first,
or the
words I
wanted to
see as
I began
my prep,
but it's
the truth,
it's your
word.
I pray
that you
would help
us to
wrestle with
these words
well and
to take
you very
seriously.
Thank you
that you
are an
amazing,
gracious,
merciful God.
We do
not understand
all of your
ways,
all of your
dealings with
people,
with your
special people,
Israel,
with us,
the church,
2,000 years
later,
but we are
so thankful
that you
have given
so many of
us in this
room grace
and that we
have come to
put our faith
in you and
to be saved.
And I pray,
Lord,
that we would
continue to
work to see
others come
to that as
well.
and we
trust you
with the
results.
You are
the God
who is
capable of
softening
hearts.
Soften the
hearts of
all in our
midst who
don't believe
and all in
this community
who don't
believe.
We pray
in Jesus'
name.
Amen.