Welcome to Reign of Grace. This
program is brought to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries,
an outreach ministry of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany,
Georgia. It is our pleasure and privilege
to present to you the gospel message of the sovereign grace
and glory of God in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that today's program
will be a blessing to you. Thank you for listening. And
now for today's program. Welcome to our program today.
I'm glad you could join us. If you'd like to follow along
in your Bibles with the message today, I'll be continuing through
the book of John, the gospel of John. I'm in chapter 12, and
I'm going to be majoring around verses 31 through 33. The subject
is Christ lifted up. Christ lifted up. Now this passage
is right after the episode where the Lord raised a man named Lazarus
from the dead. And of course, you understand
that somebody, someone performing a miracle like that, his fame
would spread throughout the land. And of course, that's what happened.
And of course, it was brought to the attention of the Pharisees
who were dead set on removing Jesus of Nazareth out of their
way and squelching his message no matter what they had to do,
even kill him, because they looked at him as a blasphemer. Well,
Jesus continued on, and over in chapter 12, we see several
things that are brought out as they spoke of this matter. This
is where it's recorded that he had what we call the triumphant
ride through Jerusalem, where he got on a donkey and he came
through Jerusalem, and it said in verse 13 of John 12, it says,
well, it says back, well, read verse 12. On the next day, much
people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus
was coming to Jerusalem, this man who healed the sick, this
man who raised the dead, It says in verse 13, they took branches
of palm trees and went forth to meet him and cried, Hosanna. Blessed is the King of Israel
that cometh in the name of the Lord. Now these are all messianic
terms. And many, some of them believed
on him as the Messiah. Some just had a outward profession
of faith, just in the miracles. And one of the things we learn
from the recorded biographies of Christ in the four gospel
narratives, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and John, that it was not
enough, when the Bible talks about faith in Christ, it's not
enough just to believe in him for the miracles. There were
a lot of people who followed him just only for that. In fact,
he made mention of this back in another passage in John and
in others, where he told them, he says, the only reason you're
following me is because you want the loaves and the fishes. You're
just wanting to feed your physical hunger. But now this term, hosanna,
it's a praise term. It's a worship term. It's something
you would only cry unto God. And so whoever these people were,
they did profess that they believed that He was and is God. Now whether
or not that faith continued, we don't know. Some of them turned
away. Now that doesn't mean they lost
their salvation. Once a person is saved, they
are always saved, if they're saved by God's grace in Christ,
because He won't let you go. Now if you believe salvation's
conditioned on you, then you can lose it because it's not
real salvation at all. It's a fake salvation. But they
cried Hosanna. Some say the translation is Lord
save us. He said blessed is the King of
Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord and It says in Jesus
verse 14 when he had found a young ass sat there on as it is written
Fear not daughter of Zion behold thy King cometh sitting on an
ass's coat This is the fulfillment of a prophecy from the book of
Zechariah from the Prophet Zechariah in Zechariah chapter 9 and verse
9 And so verse 16 says, these things understood not his disciples
at the first, but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered
they that these things were written of him and that they had done
these things unto him. And so the people therefore that
was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave and raised him
from the dead, they bear record. So here it is. Well, look at
verse 20. Now, when he was in Jerusalem
and all this was going on, it says, and there were certain
Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast. And
of course, this is one of the Jewish feasts, probably the Passover. And they came there to worship.
And it says in verse 21, the same came therefore to Philip,
which was of Bethsaida of Galilee and desired him saying, sir,
we would see Jesus. And Philip cometh and telleth
Andrew, and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. Now listen
to his word, because when he speaks, here he's speaking in
anticipation of going to the cross to save his people from
their sins. To die for his sheep, those whom
the Father had given him before the foundation of the world.
And He's going to the cross to establish a righteousness by
which God is just to justify them. And verse 23, it says,
Jesus answered them saying, the hour is come that the Son of
Man should be glorified. And what he's saying here, it's
coming close to the point where he was going to go to the cross
and die for their sins. And the next verses bear this
out. But that's how he was glorified. After this chapter, this ends
his public ministry to people in general, and then begins his
private ministry to the disciples in the upper room. And so He
says, this hour that the Son of Man may be glorified. Well,
how was He to be glorified? Now Christ, Jesus of Nazareth,
is God manifest in the flesh. And that's a glory that He already
had. He had glory eternally before the world began, because He's
the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit. So in himself, he had an inherent
glory. What is his glory? The glory
of God is that which identifies and distinguishes him as the
one true and living God. In the person of the Father,
the Son, and the Spirit. And the scripture says, in Christ,
God-man, dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And so
he had the glory, but what glory is he talking about here? He's
speaking of his mediatorial messianic glory that he would accomplish
and gain as God manifest in the flesh, God-man, upon his dying
on the cross for God's elect, his sheep, his brethren he calls
them, his church, and accomplishing all that the Father required
to save them and bring them to life and glory eternally. That's the glory of the, that's
the mediatorial messianic glory of Christ. Now, how do I know
he's talking about that glory? Well, look at verse 24. He uses
an illustration to show them what he's talking about, and
it's an agricultural illustration. And he says in verse 24, barely,
barely, I say unto you, except a corn or a seed of wheat fall
into the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth
forth much fruit. Now, what's he saying there?
Well, if you took a wheat seed and just threw it on the ground
or put it on a table like this, It wouldn't bring forth any fruit,
there'd be no wheat, but once you bury it, and it literally
dies in such a way, and out of that death comes wheat, much
fruit. And what he's saying is out of
his death will come much fruit. And the fruit is the absolute
certainty of the salvation of every sinner whom God gave him
before the world began and for whom he died on the cross. And
he says that, he said, my sheep, I give my life for the sheep
and they'll never die, the second death. He said, my sheep hear
my voice. He said, I have other sheep that
are not of this foe, this Jewish foe, them also I must bring. His name shall be called Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sins. Now don't miss
this point. Christ did not die for those
who perish. He died for his sheep. And whenever
you read passages like John 3.16 or John 1.29, it's not talking
about everybody, every individual that has ever lived in the world.
Like he told the Pharisees back in John 10, John chapter 10. He said, the reason you don't
believe is because you're not of my sheep. He didn't say, you're not of
my sheep because you don't believe. He says, your reason you don't
believe is because you're not of my sheep. My sheep hear my
voice. Christ died for his sheep. Now
that may make you angry, but that's what the Bible teaches.
Again, I've quoted this a lot of times. He said, all that the
Father giveth me shall come to me. Over in the book of John
17, we see the high priestly prayer of Christ. And listen
to what he says here in verse one of John 17. It says, these
words spoke Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said,
Father, the hour is come. Now this is the same hour that
he spoke of here in our text, John chapter 12. Glorify thy
son that thy son also may glorify thee. It's through His death
on the cross to save His people from their sins, which He accomplished
and for which He was resurrected from the dead, that He gains
His mediatorial messianic glory. And in that mediatorial messianic
glory, we see the glory of the Father as both a just God and
a Savior. 2 Corinthians 4, 6 calls it the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And so he says in verse
two, now listen to this. As thou hast given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given him. So the fruit back here, the corn
of wheat falling into the ground, bringing forth much fruit, that
fruit is all that the Father giveth him. Who shall come to
him? Not on their own volition, but
in the power of the Spirit who's given them a new heart, new life.
They've been born again, they've been quickened. Some say they've
been given a new nature, and that's okay if you don't go too
far with that. They've been given spiritual
life from heaven, from above, born again, evidenced by their
faith in Christ. A person who goes through this
life in unbelief and dies in unbelief, They're not God's elect. They're not one of his sheep.
He didn't die for them. And that's the issue. So I know
people get angry and say, well, then there's no hope for me.
What do you mean there's no hope for you? Aren't you hearing what
I'm saying? Are you interested? Sin, basically,
I mean, when we go through this life, we have some triumphs,
we have some successes, but here's the thing. If you do grow to
a ripe old age, and I'm beginning to see this in myself, I see
how sin has destroyed my life. I'm getting old. I get sick.
I have pains. I'm headed toward the grave.
You are too. Do you want to die eternally? The second death? Are you interested? Then seek the Lord. That's the
thing about it. You're commanded to do that.
You're not commanded to sit around and say, well, I wonder if I'm
one of God's elect. No. Or I wonder if I'm one of
his sheep. What does he say? His sheep hear
his voice. Do you hear this with the spiritual ear? If you hear
this and believe it, it's because God has given you life from the
dead. Now, are you interested in that?
You know, the Bible says in Romans chapter three, that there's none
that seeketh after God. No, not one. Well, who's that
talking about? He's talking about us by nature.
But at some point in time, if you're one of his sheep, if you're
one of this fruit that he's talking about, you will be brought by
God to seek the Lord. So I tell you now, seek him. but seek him in his word and
don't stop short or be satisfied with anything less than what
God says in this book about the person and work of Christ. So
let's go on, look at verse 25. Christ said, he that loveth his
life shall lose it. Now, what's stopping you from
seeking the Lord, from faith in Christ and repent? It's because
you love your life as it is, even your religion. I wouldn't
be satisfied. And he says, and he that hateth
his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. That
speaks of faith in Christ and repentance. Verse 26, if any
man serve me, let him follow me. And where I am, there shall
also my servant be. If any man serve me, him will
my father honor. Now is my soul troubled, Christ
said, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour.
He's headed to death. And it troubled him. He knew
he had to die. But he was human, without sin.
He's God manifest in the flesh. And he'd never experienced the
pain of death. But he said, what shall I say?
Father, save me from this hour, but for this cause came I unto
this hour. This is the reason I came into
the world. His name shall be called Jesus, for he shall save
his people from their sins. How's he gonna do that? Through
his death on the cross. Washed in the blood, that means
his death. were clothed in his righteousness,
which is the result of his death. The righteousness of God. And
he says, verse 28, Father, glorify thy name. And then there came
a voice from heaven saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify
it. God the Father speaking from
heaven. Now verse 29 says that the people therefore that stood
by and heard it said that it thundered. They didn't hear the
clear words, thunder. Others said an angel spoke to
him. And Jesus answered and said, this voice came not because of
me, but for your sakes, to hear that voice. Now look at these
verses here. This is my text. In verse 31,
now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this
world, that's Satan, be cast out. How was Satan cast out? and bound by the death of Christ. And I, if I be lifted up from
the earth, will draw all, it says all men, but all unto me.
Who are the all there? You say everybody without exception?
Well, is everybody without exception drawn to him? To be drawn to
him means to be drawn by the Spirit to faith in Christ and
repentance. And not everybody is. So if this
is everybody without exception, then he spoke out of turn. He's
a failure. No, all that the Father giveth
me. And I, if I be lifted up from
there, that's speaking of His crucifixion, will draw all unto
me. Who is the all? All that the
Father giveth me who shall come to me. They will be drawn No
man can come to the Father. Come to me, Christ said, John
6, 44. Except the Father which has sent me, draw him, and I'll
raise him up at the last day. And it says in verse 33, this
he said signifying what death he should die. His death is the
salvation for all for whom he died. and he must be lifted up
or they will not come. There'll be no life. If Christ
does not die on the cross and be buried and raised again the
third day, there is no salvation. So he must be lifted up. I heard
a message years ago on this that gave this outline, how Christ
must be lifted up. Number one, he must be lifted
up on that cross. to die for the sins of his people,
to bring remission of sins, to satisfy the justice of God for
their sins, pay their debt in full as their surety, their substitute,
their redeemer. God manifest in the flesh, Emmanuel,
Jesus, He must be lifted up to establish the only righteousness
upon which God can justify sinners. The imputed righteousness of
Christ, that's what that is. It's a righteousness that we
have no part in producing. Christ alone as our substitute,
produce the righteousness based upon which God has justified
all of His people. And to be justified means to
be forgiven of all our sins on the ground of His blood, His
death. It is to be declared righteous
in God's sight based upon the merits of his obedience in death,
charged to us. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord imputeth righteousness without works. Romans four and verse
four. Think about it, or verse six
rather. And these are the things of the gospel. The gospel is
the gospel of Christ. It is the revelation of the righteousness
of God. And that righteousness of God
is the merit of the obedience unto death of Christ as he was
lifted up to die on the cross. And he died. And when he died
in John 19, 30, he said this, he said, it's finished. The work's
finished. Hebrews 10, 14 says, by one offering
he hath perfected. Different form of the word finished
he hath completed he hath perfected he hath finished By one offering
he hath perfected forever Them that are sanctified Now who are
they who are sanctified all whom the father gave to him before
the foundation of the world? So he must be lifted up on the
cross and Now he says, if I be lifted up will draw all men unto
me. Well, how are people drawn to
him? Well, it's by his being lifted up first in the word of
God and the preaching of the gospel. You see, God has devised
the way that he draws his elect Christ's sheep to him for salvation. And it's through lifting up Christ
in the preaching of the gospel. Now, let me say this. His being
lifted up on the cross resulted in His being lifted up out of
the grave and ascended to the Father. He was lifted up that
way too. And the way we lift Him up in
the preaching of the gospel is preaching Christ crucified and
risen from the dead as the assurance of the salvation of His people.
If I come to you and preach, well now God loves you and Christ
died for you, now the rest is up to you. I'm not lifting this
Christ up. I'm preaching a false Christ.
I've heard preachers say, did He die in vain for you? Is that
lifting up Christ? Absolutely not. Christ did not
die in vain for any sinner. Those for whom he died shall
be saved, except that corn of wheat fall into the ground and
die. It bides alone. But if it dies,
it bringeth forth much fruit. Now, do you think that was conditioned
or dependent upon our decision? No, because left to ourselves,
we would not choose him. We would not choose his way of
salvation. You may be saying to yourself right now, I don't
believe what that preacher's preaching. Natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God. I'll say it that way.
Because what I'm telling you is based upon God's word and
not my fancy thoughts. And I'm not here just trying
to win friends and influence people. I'm here trying to preach
the gospel. by which God saves sinners. Romans
1 16, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. The gospel
of Christ is the power of God unto salvation. To the Jew first,
the Greek also, to everyone that believeth. For therein is the
righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. From faith
means knowledge revealed. To faith is knowledge received
and believed. For as it is written, the just,
the justified shall live by faith. Those who are justified before
God, based upon His blood and righteousness, they live eternally
by looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith.
So he must be lifted up in the preaching of the gospel. It pleased
God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that come unto Him,
come unto the Father by Him. the preaching of the gospel.
Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. God doesn't
save sinners under the preaching of a lie. That's what Christ
meant in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7 when he said, a
corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit. You say, only a good
tree can bring forth good fruit. The good tree is Christ who gives
life as he is presented in the gospel. God's not gonna save
you sitting in some false church somewhere listening to a false
gospel that has become man-centered, worshiping man, humanistic, emotionalism,
all of that. Doesn't matter if there are crowds
of people there. God brings his people under the preaching of
the gospel. Paul told the Thessalonians, in 1 Thessalonians chapter one,
he said, I know your election of God. I know your God's election. How did he know that? Did he
have some dream or special revelation? No, he said because the word,
the gospel, came to you in power and not just in word only. The
power is the power of God. in Christ by the Holy Spirit
to give life to a sinner and bring that sinner to faith in
Christ and repentance of dead works and idolatry. That's the
drawing, you see. And Christ must be lifted up
in the preaching of the gospel. And next, Christ must be lifted
up in the hearts of his people. Now the only way that that can
happen is if God is pleased to give you new life and you're
born again to see the glory of God in Christ. If He's lifted
up in your heart, your mind, your affections, your will, you
will be drawn unto Him. And all of that's founded upon
Christ being lifted up on the cross to die for the sins of
His people and bring forth righteousness by which God is just, to be both
a just God and a Savior for them. Hope you'll join us next week
for another message from God's Word. We are glad you could join us
for another edition of Reign of Grace. This program is brought
to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries, an outreach ministry
of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany, Georgia. To receive
a copy of today's program or to learn more about Reign of
Grace Media Ministries or Eager Avenue Grace Church, write us
at 1102 Eager Drive, Albany, Georgia, 31707. contact us by phone at 229-432-6969
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today and may the Lord be with you.