Truth For Life

Bob Lepine: Jesus performed multiple signs and miracles to substantiate his identity, his purpose, and his power. Many of his listeners were convinced, but religious leaders only became angrier and more frustrated. What about you? What do you believe? Today on Truth For Life, Alistair Begg reviews the evidence and the responses.

Alistair Begg: I invite you to turn to the 12th chapter of the Gospel of John and to follow along as I read a brief section from verse 20 to verse 26. John chapter 12, verse 20: "Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, 'Sir, we wish to see Jesus.' Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.'" Amen.

We thank you, Father, that you have left to us your word. When your word is proclaimed, your voice is heard. You are the God who speaks in such a way that even the dead, hearing your voice, may come to life. Accomplish, Lord, your purposes in our study this morning and this evening, we ask for Jesus' sake. Amen. You would have picked out our "truly, truly" there in verse 24. We started some time ago, and we have been working our way through the Gospel of John considering these. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

What Jesus is making clear in this illustration is that his death is the basis and source of spiritual life to the world. By his death, he brings life to the world. In coming to each of these texts, we have been fairly repetitive in saying to one another that it is very important that we understand each of these in light of the wider perspective of the entirety of the Gospel of John. We know that the stated purpose of John in writing this Gospel is not an academic purpose, but an evangelistic purpose. We know that from what he says in the 31st verse of chapter 20.

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Each of the Gospel writers—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—have an expressed purpose in the way in which they unfold the material. What John has provided for us is a highly concentrated perspective on the work of Jesus. He has marshaled, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, the material that he provides for us in such a way that he presents these signs.

There are approximately seven of these signs. He presents them as evidence concerning the identity of Jesus, the purpose of Jesus, and the power of Jesus. These signs and this evidence are to provide a basis for the response of faith. The response of faith is then in turn to be seen by discovering life in his name. It is important that we keep this in mind as we are listening to the Bible being taught and sharing the Bible with others. I find that people are very quick to say that they are not prepared to take a leap into the dark.

They understand the enthusiasm that we may share with them, but they are not going to take a leap into the dark. Part of the privilege entrusted to us is to say that nobody wants you to take a leap into the dark. In fact, what the Bible is asking us to do is to step out of the darkness and into the light of life. Jesus says, "I am the light of the world. He that follows me will not walk in darkness." So, it is not a leap into the dark; it is stepping out of the dark into the embrace of Jesus. We also need to consider each of these statements within the framework of John's expressed purpose and in light of the setting.

This 12th chapter of John contains the last words and acts of Jesus that are conveyed in the public arena. This is John's final recording of what Jesus was doing and saying out in the thoroughfare of life. When you turn from chapter 12 into chapter 13, you find that he is now with his disciples. You then have the Upper Room Discourse where he is preparing his disciples for the fact that he is going away. He then prays in chapter 17, and then in chapter 18, we come to the events of the Passion.

Given that it is Jesus' closing public statements, it is worth noticing in verse 44 that Jesus is crying out to the world that he has come. "Whoever believes in me," he says, "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." So, that which Jesus has come to do as he steps out into the thoroughfare of life as he approaches the closing stages of this is still the same thing. There is good precedent for pastors saying the same thing over and over again because that is exactly what Jesus is doing.

I gathered my thoughts and wrote down four words to help me: frustration, investigation, explanation, and application. You do not need to worry about anything other than frustration. I found myself going back through the Gospel of John to understand just why it is that here in chapter 12, the crowd is going out to meet Jesus. The reason why the crowd went out to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign, the raising of Lazarus. This was an unmistakable sign. And so the Pharisees said to one another, "This is going nowhere. You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the whole world has gone after him."

The Jews were seeking to disband that which God had put in place. He came to his own, and his own did not receive him. Not only did they not receive him, but they opposed him and were filled with animosity towards him. For example, in chapter 5, we studied the healing of the invalid at the pool. The reaction to that on the part of the religious establishment was not solid. Verse 10 of chapter 5 says that that day when the man was healed was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "We rejoice with you that after being an invalid for 38 years you are now up and about."

If you do not have a Bible, you do not know whether they said that or not. If you have a Bible, you know they never said anything of the kind. They said, "It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed." Verse 16 says this is why the Jews were persecuting Jesus because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. And he says to them, "My father works on the Sabbath. He makes the wind blow, the sun rise, and the moon in its place. The oceans are under his control, and I too am working." Well, that frustrated them even further.

Verse 18 says this was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. Remember what John's purpose is: that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ and have life in his name. They hear this and they want nothing to do with it at all. In chapter 7, we have the record of Jesus at the Feast of Booths. On that occasion, we are told by John there was a tremendous amount of muttering going on.

While some said he is a good man, others said no, he is leading the people astray. Yet for fear of the Jews, no one spoke openly of him. In fact, what they were seeking to do was arrest him. You can see that in verse 30. No one laid a hand on him because his hour had not yet come. Many of the people believed in him. They said, "When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?" The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.

There was a division among the people. Some said this really is the Prophet, others said this is the Christ. Others questioned if the Christ was to come from Galilee. It is the kind of thing you would have in a conversation sitting waiting for an airplane and somebody starts a conversation and they say the very same thing. "I have given some thought to Jesus. I am from a Muslim background, and I actually believe that he was a prophet." Somebody else says he was not simply a prophet; he was actually the Messiah of God. The Muslim friend says, "I do not believe that." Then we have to say, well, who is right here? Is he simply a prophet or is he the actual incarnate Son of God?

In verse 45, the officers came to the chief priests, who said to them, "Why did you not bring him?" They sent the officers to get Jesus and shut him down, and the officers come back without him. "Why did you not bring Jesus?" Well, they said, "Nobody ever spoke like this man." And the Pharisees said, "Oh no, you are not telling me that you have swallowed this now as well? You guys, you are the officers. You are supposed to be taking care of this. Have you been deceived by him?" Is that not what some of our unbelieving friends say? You have just been deceived. You have swallowed a bill of goods.

"Have any of the authorities of the Pharisees believed in him?" What they are saying is, "You do not see any of us believing in Jesus, but the crowd—the ignorant crowd, the people that do not know the law—they are accursed." What a level of frustration you see when an individual, wrestling with who Jesus is and what he's done, decides again and again to have nothing to do with him. In chapter 8, verse 39, Jesus has told them that the truth is going to set you free. Eventually, it hits the point in verse 58: Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."

Well, that did it. That was clarity, was it not? That pushed them over the edge. So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. How amazingly frustrating. Chapter 9 is fantastic. You remember the man born blind? What a predicament this is for them because the man can see. They could see that the man could see, but they do not want to believe why it is that the man can see. Thinking of John Wesley, Wesley was a vicar who had a problem with booze and a horrible bad temper while he was a vicar because he was an unconverted minister.

It was only when his heart was strangely warmed and he discovered the reality of who Jesus is that he discovered abstinence and began to get his temper under control by the power of the Holy Spirit. But when he and his brother came to their mother and said, "We just actually have discovered who Jesus is," their mother said, "Oh no, no, you have known who Jesus is for a long time. You are a minister for goodness' sake." They were unconverted ministers offering the bread of life to people, having never eaten the bread themselves. These individuals, who should be declaring the work of the prophets and the fulfillment of their purposes, are dumbfounded by the fact that this man who was born blind can now see.

Notice how gracious they are to him in verse 32: "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." This is the blind man speaking. They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and you are going to teach us?" And they threw him out on the street. In chapter 10, in response to the fact that Jesus declares himself to be the Good Shepherd, instead of deciding to follow him, in verse 31 they picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus appeals to them with logic.

The Jews said to him, "It is not for a good work that we're going to stone you but for blasphemy because you, being a man, make yourself God." Jesus points out to them, "If I'm not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the signs, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father." Again they sought to arrest him. You see, the Jews who are opposing him are right to conclude that Jesus is claiming deity. That is their problem.

They realize that he is actually declaring himself to be the Messiah, and they're right to recognize that claim. What they are wrong about is then assigning to him blasphemy because the irony actually is they are the true blasphemers. They are within touching distance of the Messiah. They are the ones who have been present to see his miracles and to hear his words. He is speaking clearly to them. He is compelling them to think logically about things. Forget this idea that the way you become a Christian is you disengage your brain and put it under the seat and try and feel your way into something.

He escaped from their hands in verse 39. He did not escape to avoid pain but to fulfill his purpose, which brings us to chapter 11. What a shame that there is no "truly, truly" in chapter 11. That is such a disappointment to me because I want to do chapter 11. But you know what has happened, and you know that in the interchange that takes place between Jesus, Martha, and Mary, the striking question that falls right in the middle of it all—and it is a question for the ages—where Jesus, having said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, even though he die, yet shall he live; and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die," then asks the question: "Do you believe this?"

He is not asking "Do you believe in religion?" He is not asking anything other than, "Do you believe this?" It means coming to a belief which, in John's terminology, involves personally committing oneself to Jesus as Son of God, Savior, Lord, Lamb of God, and King.

Bob Lepine: You're listening to Alistair Begg on Truth For Life. We'll hear more about Christ's deity tomorrow. As Alistair pointed out today, becoming a follower of Jesus isn't a blind leap of faith. The Bible challenges us to use our brains and to think it through. That's why our mission at Truth For Life is to teach the Bible with clarity and relevance. Our prayer is that God's Spirit will work through Alistair's teaching so that unbelievers will become committed followers of Christ and believers will continue to grow in faith.

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I've been out for 10 years now, and I'm living the life God had in mind for me. I just want to say thank you for being direct and unapologetic in your teaching. I know that God used you to reach me, and I have learned now to use God's word for answers to everything. Thank you for your teaching. Thank God for his word." Well, you can be part of the team that brings Truth For Life to so many, like this grateful listener, when you become one of our Truth Partners. Truth Partners are listeners who have benefited from Alistair's teaching and want to share it with others by giving a monthly donation.

You can sign up at truthforlife.org/truthpartner, or you can call us at 888-588-7884. When you do get in touch with us, be sure to request your copy of the book Come You Weary: Enjoy Christ's Comfort. The book is our way of saying thanks for your support. This little book turns your focus to the promises of Jesus so you can find rest for your weary soul. I'm Bob Lepine. Many of Jesus' listeners were convinced of who he was, and yet others refused to believe, regardless of what they heard or saw. Why is this? Tomorrow, we'll review even more of the evidence and the responses. The Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth For Life, where the learning is for living.