Jesus' public presentation as Messiah, as depicted in John 12, highlights the contrast between the people's enthusiastic reception and the Pharisees' enmity, revealing that true discipleship involves embracing suffering and rejection, mirroring Christ's own path. The sermon uses the analogy of a corn of wheat dying to bear much fruit to illustrate Christ's sacrifice and its salvific power, emphasizing that his crucifixion draws all people to him, both for salvation and eventual judgment. The passage underscores that while Christ's suffering was necessary for redemption, many rejected him due to hardened hearts and a misunderstanding of his kingdom. Ultimately, the message calls individuals to respond to Christ's sacrifice by accepting him as Savior before the day of judgment.
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My message for you today is found in the Gospel according to John chapter twelve. Let me read a verse or two, beginning at verse twelve of chapter twelve. On the next day, much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, went forth to meet him and cried, Hosanna, Blessed is the King of Israel, that cometh in the name of the Lord. Now verse twenty-three.
Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, but the Son of Man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat, fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone, but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hath his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me. Where I am there shall also my servant be. If any man serve me, him will my father honour.
Now is my soul troubled. What shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. But for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came here a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. The people therefore that stood by and heard it said that it thundered. Others said, An angel spoke to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for you sakes. Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This, he said, signifying what death he should die. I'm sure the Lord will bless to us the reading of these verses. Again, I remind you, it would be very profitable for you after this broadcast is finished, if you just take a little private time to sit down and read through the chapter. In the opening verses, as it were, from where I started reading, verse twelve up to verse nineteen, There is the account of what we might call the regal procession.
You have the entry into Jerusalem. You have the enthusiasm of the multitude. And there is the enmity of the Pharisees who were his enemies. Now look for a moment at this entry into Jerusalem. It's perfectly true that the Lord Jesus had entered Jerusalem on many occasions. Even when he was a boy of twelve, he made the journey from Nazareth up in Galilee, down to Jerusalem to attend the feast. He came down with Mary, his mother, and with Joseph.
On different occasions during his public ministry, he also came to Jerusalem. But this was a very special occasion, for it is clear that this entry into Jerusalem was the public presentation of the Messiah, which was in perfect accord with the prophetic scriptures and was planned in accordance with the divine purpose. A great number of people have missed this truth even in the reading and studying of the Bible. When Christ was born at the place called Bethlehem, very, very few people knew about it.
Oh, I know when Christmas time comes round that people seem to think that the whole world was stirred when the Christ child was born. But, my friend, if you read it carefully and examine it, you'll discover... that multitudes of people knew nothing about his birth. Oh, it's true there were some shepherds on the plains of Bethlehem, and they knew about it because they received the angelic message. And then, of course, Joseph and Mary knew about it. It's also true that there were wise men who came from the east. They knew about it, but it took them quite a time to arrive.
after leaving their home and journeying to Bethlehem. But otherwise the world didn't know a thing about it. There was something secret about it in a way, because at that time the people of the Middle East were all bound up with an enthusiasm regarding political movements. There was a new taxation to be made, and in view of the taxation they'd all to go to their various centres for a national registration, taking a census of the people. So being perturbed and anxious about the political situation and about the taxation, people weren't interested about a child that was born at Bethlehem.
Ah, but then, when you come to this incident here, when he's riding into Jerusalem on the back of that little donkey, And the multitude are there and they're crying, Hosanna. This was the fulfillment of the prophecy. Thy king cometh unto thee. And so here he was, the king, riding into Jerusalem. This, I suggest to you, was the public presentation of the Messiah. If these people who pretended that they knew the Old Testament, if they had recognized it, they would have seen that here was the true Messiah and this was in perfect accord with the prophetic scriptures this was the presentation of the Messiah to the nation and it was a vital thing in the history of that nation because they rejected their Messiah it was only a short time after that that they cried out let him be crucified We have no king but Caesar.
But on this occasion, as he enters into Jerusalem, you have the enthusiasm of the multitude. Now what caused this enthusiasm may be doubtful, but there was much excitement at the time of the feast, and many of them were anxious for some kind of national leadership. They wanted a leader to liberate them from the power of Rome. They were under the dominating power of the Roman Empire at that time, and they knew it, and they wanted someone who could liberate them from that and make them again a nation to be reckoned with.
They were looking for someone, and perhaps that was what caused all the enthusiasm, and they were singing Hosanna in the highest. But whether they understood it perfectly or not, the fact of the matter is, they were actually carrying out the prophetic scriptures. But this stirred up the enmity with the Pharisees. The Pharisees were upset. They were overawed, you might say, because the multitude were singing the praises of the man whom they sought to kill. Oh, they didn't like this man called Jesus of Nazareth. They were afraid of him.
He had exposed their sin. He had exposed their hypocrisy. And now, especially at this time, when the whole multitude were going after him, they wondered what they could do. They were afraid, perhaps, that there might be some trouble, and they also would be blamed for it by the Roman authorities. But they show their enmity towards him, and they decide now the time has come, not only to make the plot, but to carry it out. and to get rid of this man whom they hated. It's true, very shortly after that you'll be put on a cross. But now you know when you come further down, verse twenty says, And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast.
The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. if the leaders of the nation of Israel at that time had no desire to make his friendship they had no desire to bow to his authority rather they were trying to kill him but however we're introduced now to another group we're called the Greeks whether they were those that had been members of the dispersion or whether they were born as Greeks and had somehow or another embraced the Jewish religion, the fact is they'd come to Jerusalem to worship.
Now then they make the request, we would see Jesus. I wonder, may I ask, what would be the motive for that request? Was it simply a request of curiosity? Had they heard certain things about him? And because they'd heard these things, they decided why this is the time we'll see him here. So they asked one of his disciples that said, We would see Jesus. Was it simply curiosity? Or did they have some convictions concerning the person of Christ as a result of what they had had? Perhaps we would do well if we credit them with sincerity.
Not simply curiosity, but sincerity. They had convictions regarding Christ. and they desired to have a conversation with him or to see him or to listen to him first hand. Notice the manner of the request. It was with courtesy. It was like as if they acted like real gentlemen. You see, they approached Philip, who in turn conveyed the request to another disciple called Andrew. And jointly the two of them come and they presented the request to their master who was the Savior, the Lord Jesus. That there were those there who wanted to see him.
Now, I want you to notice the great message that comes in the reply to this request. For as the Lord begins to answer them, then you'll notice this, that he deals with the sufferings and the glories that shall follow. You see, if the Lord Jesus Christ was going to set up his kingdom there and then, no doubt there was a great number of people who would desire to be associated with him if he was going to take the place of power. But if they knew that he was going to be rejected and placed on a cross, I wonder how many people would be prepared to identify themselves with the Lord under these circumstances.
So he begins to speak now about the cross. First we have the cross of Christ and its resultant harvest. It is beautifully illustrated in the lesson of the corn of wheat dying and bringing forth much fruit. Now you see except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abides alone. But if it's planted in the ground and it dies then it springs forth brings forth its green chute the evidence of life then in the harvest it brings forth the ears of corn there's the harvest perhaps a hundredfold he speaks then of the sufferings he would have to go to the cross he would have to suffer he would be that corn of wheat that would fall into the ground and die and it would bring forth much fruit now then he notices then the cross of Christ as the required standard for true discipleship if these people were anxious to see him and anxious to follow him they better become acquainted with what
was involved in discipleship you see true discipleship brings a far greater message than simply someone making a profession. A disciple is one who follows on. A disciple is one who is identified with his master. His followers then, his disciples, must be prepared for the path of suffering and rejection in this world. If that was good enough for the master, it must be good enough for the servant. If the Lord Jesus Christ was to be rejected on this earth, Cast out, despise, put on a cross, go to death.
What about his followers? Some people seem to imagine that becoming a Christian is the gateway to an easy life. No, my friend, it isn't. When I hear people preaching and telling their audience that all they need to do is get saved and make this commitment and life will be so easy, I realize they're not telling them the truth. For Christians are often despised. Sometimes they are rejected in their own immediate circle for becoming Christians. The path of discipleship is a path that may lead to suffering. It may lead to rejection in this world. The same as they reject to the Lord, they'll reject the one that follows the Lord.
So he shows that the cross is that which makes this distinction. If we identify ourselves with a man that died on the cross, then of course we realise this, what shall it provide a man who is to gain the whole world and lose his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Is he prepared to identify himself with the Christ that the world rejected? The cross of Christ as a revelation of his suffering soul, he was troubled and endured grief and anguish. in contemplation of the cross. When the Lord Jesus Christ came to Jerusalem, he knew exactly what he would have to pass through.
He knew that he would be betrayed. He knew that we would be handed over to the Gentile powers. He knew that he would be crucified. Because already he has said in John chapter three that the Son of Man must be lifted up. Again in chapter eight. He reminded his audience that they would be responsible for his crucifixion, for he said, When ye have lifted up the Son of Man. Now here, in this particular passage, he says, And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto me. This, he said, signifying what death he would die.
So he knew, he knew then, that he was going to be crucified. But the cross of Christ is set before us then as the revelation of his suffering soul. Here he was in contemplation of the cross. Again, the cross of Christ is related here to the record of heaven. This is witnessed by the voice speaking from heaven and declaring that he would glorify his name. It's an amazing thing how God in high heaven... At different times, he sent the heavens to speak a word of approval about his son.
The day he was baptized, he said, Then, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. On the Mount of Transfiguration, again God's voice thundered, saying, This is my beloved son. Hear him. Again here in chapter twelve of John's Gospel, The voice again speaks. The Father speaks from heaven to glorify his Son. I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. Speaking of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. See, the Father from heaven puts his seal of approval upon the work of his Son and upon the words that he spoke.
And when he told them that he was going to a cross, that he would have to die. that would have to be lifted up. This then was witnessed by the voice speaking from heaven. Then you're the cross of Christ and the response of men. When Christ was uplifted, then all men without distinction are drawn to him. For example now, Jews and Gentiles are drawn to him. All different kinds of men. irrespective of their nationality irrespective of their religious backgrounds when Christ was lifted up and when he is lifted up today in the preaching of the word men and women are drawn to him all kinds without distinction the rich the poor the well educated or the non educated they listen to a message and they realize that Christ is the one who can meet their need and they're drawn to him without distinction.
Ah, but let me remind you, there's a coming day, a day of judgment. And if men refuse to be drawn to Christ by the message of grace, by the message of the gospel, then they will be compelled to come. They'll be drawn to him then, without exception. No one will be able to refuse to come to him and bow the knee You know, people have done some strange things. Some have had their graves dug. They've had them concreted. And after their casket was put down, they've had so many feet of concrete put down upon their casket.
Because they left in their will they were to be so buried that they would be there and they would not come up in the resurrection. In plain words, they would defy God. Oh, how puny a man is. and in one of those such graves they tell me that a little bird had dropped the seed just at the time that seed took root and the roots went down and very soon the concrete was broken you see my friend you cannot you cannot get away from God some people get cremated get their bodies burned so that they will not take part in the resurrection friend listen I care not how you dispose of the human body there's going to be a resurrection He said in chapter eleven, I am the resurrection and the life.
Now remember this. In this chapter, chapter twelve, he says, He'll draw all men unto me. Christ was lifted up. Lifted up was He to die. It is finished. Was His cry. Now in heaven exalted. High. Hallelujah. What a Savior. And then people have responded to the message of the cross. They've been drawn to Christ. They've accepted him as Savior. All kinds and classes and nationalities of people have been drawn to Christ. We have a common Savior. Ah, but in a coming day, those that refuse to acknowledge him as Savior, they'll be drawn to him for judgment.
How will you be drawn, my friend? Will you come now and accept him? Or will you wait till you're compelled to come and then bow the knee to him when it's too late to hear the message of condemnation? Now in the closing verses of this chapter there's the reaction of the people. They only understood half-truths, therefore it seemed to them a discrepancy between their traditional beliefs and the teaching of the Lord Jesus. If he was the Messiah, then why did he talk about dying? See they only understood that the Messiah would reign in power. What they didn't know was they must first of all suffer, then enter into his glory.
So he was The light was shining, but they preferred to walk in the darkness. See, they had blinded eyes. The signs were given, but they decided to remain in unbelief. Their hearts were hardened. Let me conclude this message with these words of an old hymn. Come, sinner, behold what Jesus has done. Behold how he suffered for thee. They crucified him. God's innocent son, forsaken. He died on the tree. From heaven he came. He loved you.
He died. Such love as his never was known. Behold, on the cross, your king crucified, to make you an heir to his throne. They crucified him, and yet he forgave. My Father, forgive them, he cried. What must he have borne the sinner to save when under the burden he died? So what will you do with Jesus, your king? Say, how will you meet him at last? What plea in the day of wrath will you bring when offers of mercy are passed?
They crucified him. They crucified him, they nailed him to the tree. So there he died, a king crucified, to save a poor sinner, like me.