Sermon Tone Analysis

Believe!

When it comes to believe, does it really matter what you believe?

OK so that really is a rhetorical question.

This section of scripture is full of belief.

Lot’s of unbelief that leaves the person to judgment.

What you believe matters and as John finishes up with Jesus public ministry here today you will see the importance, eternally, of belief.

You will see:

They would not believe (vv.37-38)

They could not believe (v.39)

they should not believe (vv.40-41)

We need to be firm in our belief, for there is no neutral ground when it comes to God and His call.

This calling has gone forth, the proof and the evidence is there, the mystery has been revealed and there are no more excuses.

Open your Story book to pg. 118 and Bible to Jn12:37-50

Tragedy of Unbelief

What do you notice, what do you see, what sticks out to you?

C.H. Dodd - “has identified this section as the transition between what he calls the “book of Signs” (chapters 12-11) and “Book of the Passion” (chpters 13-20)”

In spite of clear evidence that was presented to them, the Jewish nation would not believe.

They have heard the report (v.38;

Isa53:1); seen the signs but still did not believe.

In (v.37-38) - why do you think they would not believe?

There are people who you can share the truth with and no matter what they just will not believe.

Jesus spoke of this elsewhere too.

This section quotes from Isa53:1 too

Who has the arm of the Lord been revealed to?

And how do you know?

Could it be hardness of heart?

Could it be misconception of the Messiah?

Could it be not taking God and His Word seriously?

So we covered would not believe, but now let’s move on to could not believe.

v.

In looking at these verses which is also a quote from Isaiah (abbreviated version of Isa6:9-10)

What does this look like, sound like to you?

Is God hardening their hearts?

One commentator calls this “judicial blindness” meaning that God permits this blindness to the ones who do not take God’s Word seriously.

There are other examples (Mt13:14-15; Mk4:12; Lk8:10 and Act28:25-27) all bring in portions of all of the same quote out of Isaiah.

It is a serious thing to treat God’s Word flippant or lightly, people (like the Jews here) could miss out on salvation.

All these words from Isaiah come from a broken heart, he had preached the Word of God as God told him, and the people did not believe and he wished he had not even preached, but see God always has a remnant, and we will see that in just a couple of minutes.

When God’s Word is preached, taught you would hope people would receive, but if they don’t then God will give them over to their desires.

Turn in your Bibles to Rom1:18-24 (too long of a passage for screen)

In looking at this passage, why did God hand them over?

Now in response to what they did, what did God hand them over to (v.24)?

God gave them what they wanted, hence they could not believe because they already made a decision

Yes this is all a part of God’s plan, hard to believe it, but God will use people right where they are at to fulfill His purpose.

Remember God’s plan was bigger than Israel the promise made to Abraham was that “all nations” would be blessed.

Jesus was more than the the Savior to Israel He was to be the Savior of the world.

Remember I mentioned a remnant earlier?

Let’s now look at (vv.42-43)

According to (v.42) who believed?

What was the problem with their belief?

Why did they respond the way they did to their belief?

The remnant were some of the leaders, people like Nicodemus, like Joseph of Arimathea- they were undercover disciples to a certain point then they spoke out.

But nonetheless they believed.

But belief is not enough is it?

Jesus told us such.

In those day it was risky to be a Christian, you could be put out of the synagogue

Who you seeking glory from, man or God, that matters.

Where they may have faced expulsion from the synagogue, ostracism from the people including family and economic consequences for they would not do business with a non-Jew.

John is chiding them, who do you want from glory from, man or God.

In our world today you may hear it often said that “my religion is a private matter” but private or not it should not be hidden for we are called to be lights and lights are not hidden.

II.

Belief in the Father’s Word

What did Jesus do (v.44)?

There are some very significant truths in (vv.44-46) what are they?

Believe in Me; then you believe in the One who sent me (v.44)

See me, then you see the One who sent me

I am light; believe in me and you will not be in darkness

Now how about some scriptures to back these things up?

You must believe in Him and by believing in Him you believe in the One who sent Him.

Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world but that the world maybe saved through Him.

William Barclay says “It was not the wrath of God that sent Jesus to men; it was love.

Yet the coming of Jesus inevitably involved judgment.”

So let’s press on some more through this passage.

In looking at (vv.47-48) what, who is the judgment by?

Why is there judgment (v.47)?

So on that final day we are going to be held accountable for for what we heard, what we believe and what we did with that belief.

All of this by the Word of God.

We are not saved by becoming a Jesus cult, we are saved by belief in the Fathers Word that was commissioned to the Son and lived, died and rose again through the Son.

When we see the Son, we see the Father, when we hear the words of the Son we hear the words of the Father.

What is the command in (v.49)?

What is the results of the commandment (v.50)?

Something to think about, judgment comes by the Word, the written word speaks of the Living Word and the Living Word brings salvation to those who believe.

To those who do not believe judgment has come.

Where the sentencing has not been carried out yet, there is still the opportunity to repent and change directions, that is what we want to bring to people, today is a day of opportunity for tomorrow maybe too late.

If you were to summarize all of this, it would look like this.

Belief in Jesus = belief in the Father (vv.45-46)

Jesus is on a mission from the father, and is commissioned by the Father (v.46)

Jesus mission and commission is to save the world, not condemn (v.47)

There are consequences if you reject Jesus and His message (v.48)

The consequences are because the message and the mission are from the Father (vv.48-49)

The implication is that if you reject Jesus you are rejecting the Father.