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      "The Hindrances of a Clear Testimony"
      John 12:34-43
      Theme: Every person who has faith in Christ Jesus cannot help but confess Him.

        1. Being Half-Witted & In Darkness – 12:34-36

          1. Indecision as to the Lordship of Christ – v. 34

            1. The Lord has just provided great assurance through His own promises as well as the testimony by God the Father – that Christ would raise from the dead, signifying that the atonement would be successful.
            2. Hearing Christ say: "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself" – they remember Him stating the same thing but in a reference to the "Son of Man" – cp. John 3:14; 8:28
            3. They "answered Him, "We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’?"
              1. The term "Son of Man" was Jesus’ favorite title in reference to Himself – used exclusively by Him of Him.
              2. It is clearly understood as a messianic title referring to the One who would come and reign forever – cp. Daniel 7:13-14
              3. As a consequence, they were asking how Jesus could refer to Himself as the Son of Man having to die and yet the Old Testament taught that the Messiah would reign forever.
            4. Hence, they ask Him: "Who is this Son of Man" – it cannot be the Messianic person – so who is it?
            5. One of the great hindrances to a person being able to have a testimony is indecision concerning the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

          2. Ignorant of their Lost Condition – vv. 35-36

            1. Jesus then responds with an appeal and an analysis – the final appeal to faith offered by the Lord as recorded by John.
            2. First, in response to their question, Jesus indicates that He would not be with them too much longer – "So Jesus said to them, ‘For a little while longer the Light is among you."
              1. This is a reference to the fact that in only a day or two, God’s revelation of His glory as a man walking in the midst of men would no longer be available – cp. John 1:14
              2. His admonition was that they recognize Him for what He is – the true Messiah who came to take away their sins by dying for them – cp. Isaiah 53.
            3. He further warns them that the hour wherein they might believe in Him can come and go – after which the opportunity would be gone and the condition become irreversible – "Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you."
            4. The problem is defined by Jesus – that those who are in darkness are unable to determine what to do about their condition or in which direction they ought to turn – "he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes."
            5. Jesus offers the solution to their lost condition – "While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light."
            6. However, we understand that the people did not embrace the offer held forth by Christ – "These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them."
            7. Lost people know something is not right, and do not know what to do about it – and unless they turn to the Light, they remain "overtaken" by their darkness – cp. John 3:19-21; Romans 1:21; Ephesians 4:17-18

        2. Being Hard-hearted & In Defiance – 12:37-41

          1. The Rejection of the Evidence – vv. 37-38

            1. Despite all the tremendous indications of Christ Jesus’ authenticity, the people refused to believe in Him – "But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him."
            2. The incredible hardness of heart is displayed here – in that a continual, undaunted condition of unbelief ("were not believing" – imperfect tense) - characterized that vast majority of people who had first-hand experience with the glory of God manifest through the Lord Jesus Christ.
            3. Their culpability for their sin and unbelief is highlighted by reference to "so many signs" having been performed – cp. Luke 10:13
            4. Such obstinate hearts in response to the Lord Jesus ought to bring a certain alleviation to the man or woman who would serve as ambassadors for Christ attempting to reconcile people to God – if they rejected Him, they will reject you as well.

          2. The Reinforcement of the Enmity – vv. 39-41

            1. Because of their hardened hearts, all foreknown by God, John indicates that the prophecies of Isaiah were being fulfilled: "This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: ‘Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed’?"
              1. The Verbal Proclamation of the Gospel was rejected – "who has believed our report" – lit. "that which was heard from us"
              2. The Signs of God’s Glorious Power were ignored – "… to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"
            2. Through their own fault, the people of Israel refused to obey the Gospel of Christ and continued to harden their hearts.
            3. As a consequence of their willful rejection of the truth was the rejection by God.
            4. The Spirit of the Lord does not strive with men forever – there comes a time when He will withdraw completely and thereby doom a man by leaving him alone – "For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, ‘He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and be converted and I heal them."
            5. The divine order is that the one who willfully harden himself will, if they continue in their defiance, be hardened by God – who gives them over to reprobation – cp. Romans 1:18-32
            6. John provides another editorial comment that greatly establishes Jesus’ divine essence by identifying Him as the one seen by Isaiah: "These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him." – cp. Isaiah 6 & 53

        3. Being Half-hearted & In Deference – 12:42-43

          1. The Persuasiveness of the Pressure of Men – v. 42

            1. There were many who came close to allowing themselves to trust in Jesus for salvation – "Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him"
            2. This is not teaching that they possessed true "Saving Faith" – only that they were prone to grant a measure of credibility to what Jesus was saying and doing – cp. John 8:30
            3. The problem for them was the threat of the personal cost should they truly embrace Jesus as the Christ – "but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue."
            4. There have been those who have failed to embrace Christ – with all of the blessings He promised – because of a fear of what men would think or say about them.
            5. The tragedy is that the consequence of such timidity is that Christ refuses to confess them before the Father – cp. Matthew 10:32.

          2. The Priority of the Praise of Men – v. 43

            1. The diagnosis of their motive is given to us here: "for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God."
            2. This clearly reveals that the singular way by which men can gain the approval of God is to be found in Christ Jesus – cp. Ephesians 1:6; Colossians 1:12
            3. Should man remain more honored and revered than God, Paul indicates that such one’s should not be the servants of Christ – cp. Galatians 1:10.

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