From Darkness to Light.

John 12:20-50

"I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark." – John 12:46 NLT

When referring to Jesus, John used the metaphor of light throughout his gospel. He opened his account of the life of Jesus with these words, "… his life brought light to everyone.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it" (John 1:4-5 NLT). He went on to tell how John the Baptist, sent by God, told "about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony" (John 1:7 NLT). John the Baptist was to be a witness to the fact that "the one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world" (John 1:9 NLT). It's interesting how John used this word picture of light penetrating the darkness when referring to Jesus. It paints a vivid image of the state of the world from God's perspective. Mankind was immersed in a suffocating darkness, caused by the presence of sin and the absence of truth. For more than 400 years, God had remained silent, no longer sending any prophets with any messages of either warning or hope. During the period of the kings and all the way up until the exile of Judah to Babylon, God had spoken regularly and relentlessly, calling His people to return to Him. He had given them warnings of what was to come, but also assurances that He would be faithful to them. He promised to return them to the Promised Land from their 70 years in exile, and He kept His word. But then the prophets ceased and God fell silent. For more than 400 years the world suffered without a word from God. Darkness reigned. The light of God's truth dimmed. Even God's chosen people became a shadow of what He had intended them to be. Their priesthood had become more political than spiritual. Their land was under constant attack and they suffered defeat at the hands of the Syrians, Egyptians and Romans during that time. They practiced their religion, but they did so, as it were, in darkness. They no longer heard from God. And over time, they became accustomed to the darkness. The became acclimated to their surroundings and learned to live without the light. Like Gollum in J. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, they grew comfortable living in an environment lacking in light.

But God was not going to remain silent forever. He was not going to allow the darkness to continue. As He did at the creation of the world, God would penetrate the darkness with light. "Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness" (Genesis 1:3-4 NLT). At just the right time, God caused His light to shine into the world again. The classic Christmas carol, O Holy Night, describes the scene quite beautifully.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

'Til He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

The prophet Isaiah predicted that this time would come. Under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, he wrote hundreds of years earlier, "The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness,a light will shine" (Isaiah 9:2 NLT). He went on to describe the source of this light: "For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6 NLT). Jesus Christ was the light of God penetrating the darkness that had engulfed the world and left men stumbling about blindly, attempting to grope their way toward a solution to their problem of sin, pain, and suffering.

Jesus made it perfectly clear why He had come and what was expected of those who heard His message. "I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in men will no longer remain in darkness" (John 12:46 NLT). But John tells us the sad reality: "But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him" (John 12:37 NLT). Jesus had come offering them hope. He had come providing them with a way to reestablish their relationship with God the Father. He offered them light to help them navigate the darkness of this world, but they refused it. Jesus did not come to eliminate the darkness, but to illuminate it. Darkness is simply an absence of light. He came to provide light where there had been none. But this Light would not be with them forever. In just a few short days, His life and the Light would be extinguished. Jesus told them so. "My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light" (John 12:35-36 NLT).

But by the end of that week, the Light of the world would be snuffed out. His life would be taken. Better yet, His life would be given, because He died willingly and gladly so that men might have eternal life and a permanent source of Light for their lives. Jesus had promised, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life" (John 8:12 NLT). His death made it possible for men to live in His light permanently – even while surrounded by the darkness of this world. Jesus came into the world as the Light of the world. He died so that His light might shine in the lives of men, making them sources of light that might illuminate the darkness. One Light became many lights. Paul made this clear when he wrote, "For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!" (Ephesians 5:8 NLT). We have the Light of the world within us, not just with us. He indwells us and illuminates our lives, not just our surroundings. And we have the capacity and responsibility to shine into the darkness of this world, making a difference, exposing sin, illuminating the way to the One who can make a difference in the lives of men. Paul went on to say, "For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible" (Ephesians 5:9-14 NLT).

Those of us who are in Christ, have Christ in us. We have His light shining in and through us. We are lamps in the darkness, providing hope by revealing the truth of God's transforming power in our lives. We are to shine as Jesus did. We are to expose darkness as He did. We are to illuminate the darkness, not attempt to eliminate it. When we live as children of the light, the darkness naturally recedes before us. Darkness cannot dwell in the presence of light. It diminishes as the light grows stronger. May we become increasingly bright lights in this sin-darkened world, "for light makes everything visible."

Father, thank You for illuminating the darkness of my world with the Light of Your Son. Now help me to live as a child of the Light in the world in which You've placed me. Help me to shine brightly. Help me to clearly point the way to You for those who still live in darkness and cannot see for themselves. May my life by a light on a hill, clear for all to see, and a magnet to those who desire to escape the darkness of sin in their lives. Amen.

The Background To His Entrance.

Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19

The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!” – John 12:12-13 NLT

The Triumphal Entry of Jesus. Like His birth, Last Supper, crucifixion and resurrection, this is one of those moments in the life of Jesus that has been seared into our memory. It has taken on the quality of a Hallmark card, complete with the idyllic scene of Jesus sitting on the small colt of a donkey, surrounded by an adoring crowd of people waving palm branches and shouting His praises. We don't doubt that it happened, but it has become so familiar a scene to many of us that we no longer look at it with any sense of credulity or wonder. When I read the account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem I can't help but ask, “What is really going on here?” Even as a young boy, I would wonder why these people were so excited about Jesus coming into Jerusalem, when none of them ever seemed to believe in Him before. Why were thousands of people suddenly hailing Him as the King of Israel and acknowledging Him as the Messiah, “the one who comes in the name of the Lord”?

As is always the case when reading Scripture, context is essential. But many of us have been raised on a steady diet of Bible stories lifted out of context and forced to stand on their own as isolated little vignettes, each carrying their own moral message or story line. But the Triumphal Entry did not happen in isolation. It was part of a series of events that were all working together to help set the stage for the final days of Jesus' life on this planet.

To understand what was going on in the streets of Jerusalem that day, you have to back up to the first part of chapter 12 of the book of John. There you will discover that six days before Passover, Jesus had been in the village of Bethany. He was there to visit the home of Lazarus, the man He had miraculously raised from the dead not many days before. This event had caused quite a stir. Those who had come to mourn the death of Lazarus, and then witnessed him walking out of the tomb alive, couldn't help but be impressed with this man called Jesus. News spread quickly. John tells us, “Many of the people who were there with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen” (John 11:45 NLT). But when the religious leaders heard what had happened, there response was to begin to plot the death of Jesus. This was the last straw for them. Jesus was garnering far too much attention. He was creating too much of a distraction and causing too great a disturbance to their way of life to be ignored any longer. This all took place in the village of Bethany, located just about two miles east of Jerusalem. John also tells us that since it was almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, people from all over the country were arriving in town early in order to go through the required purification process for Passover. There would have been millions of people flocking into Jerusalem and the surrounding areas, looking for places to stay during the Passover celebration. Bethany, being so close to the city, would have been a likely stopping point for many of them. Because the fantastic news of Jesus' raising of Lazarus from the dead had been spreading like wild fire, these visitors to Jerusalem were all looking for Jesus. John tells us, “They kept looking for Jesus, but as they stood around in the Temple, they said to one another, “What do you think? He won't come for Passover, will he?” (John 11:56 NLT). The Pharisees and leading priests had spies out looking for Jesus so they could arrest Him. But Jesus had left the region for a time and chapter 12 records His return just six days prior to Passover.

He had dinner with Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. It was Mary who anointed the feet of Jesus, a sign of gratitude for what He had done for her brother Lazarus. While Jesus acknowledged that this was in preparation for His coming burial, there is no indication that Mary had this in mind when she did what she did. John tells us that when news of Jesus' arrival got out, people “flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead” (John 12:9 NLT). The crowds gathered and the religious leaders plotted. Now they decided to kill Lazarus as well, probably in an attempt to eliminate the evidence to Jesus' miracle. The fact was, Lazarus had become a celebrity and a walking witness to the Messianic claims of Jesus. He was living proof of Jesus' power and was not afraid to talk about it. John tells us that it was the very next day, right after Jesus' dinner at the home of Lazarus, that He instructed His disciples to find the colt and prepare for His entrance into Jerusalem. The key to understand what went on that day is found in verses 17-18 of John 12. “Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. That was the reason so many went out to meet him – because they had heard about this miraculous sign” (John 12:17-18 NLT). It was the raising of Lazarus from the dead that guaranteed Jesus' a huge welcome that day. It was also His raising of Lazarus from the dead that guaranteed that the religious leaders would determine to kill Him. This amazing, miraculous, awe-inspiring event, which should have been more than enough proof to support Jesus claims to be the Messiah, would set in motion His ultimate death. The people waving palm branches and shouting praises that day didn't really believe in Jesus. They were enamored with His miracles. The religious leaders weren't impressed with Jesus' power, they simply wanted to eliminate His presence. Back in Luke 16, Jesus told the fictional story of the rich man and a poor beggar named Lazarus. I think Jesus chose that name for the beggar for a reason. At the end of that story, Jesus has the great patriarch of Israel, Abraham say, “If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead” (Luke 16:31 NLT).

Now, not long after raising Lazarus from the dead, and just days after His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, Jesus would be rejected, tried and crucified. His message and His miracles would be forgotten. His claim to be the Messiah would be ignored. Their own assertion that He was “the one who comes in the name of the Lord” and their shouts of “Hosanna!” would turn to screams of “Crucify Him!” But the raising of Lazarus made possible His rousing welcome by the people and guaranteed the blood-thirsty response of the religious leaders. It was all necessary for God's plan to be fulfilled and Jesus' mission to be completed.

Father, it is incredible to read the details required for Your redemptive plan to work the way it did. So many things had to happen at just the right time and in just the right way for everything to line up the way it did. So many individuals had to be involved, many of them in ways they were totally oblivious to. Judas had to betray Jesus. Peter would have to deny Him. Lazarus would have to die. Mary would anoint Him. The people would wildly welcome Him. The disciples would desert Him. But it was all part of Your divine redemptive plan. What an amazing God You are! Amen.

A Contrast of Kingdoms.

Matthew 20:20-28; Mark 10:35-52; Luke 18:35-19:27; John 11:55-12:11

The replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” – Mark 10:37 NLT

One of the things that jumps out in the Gospels as we near the end of Jesus earthly life and ministry, is the growing contrast between the views of Jesus and the disciples regarding the coming Kingdom. The story recorded in Matthew and Mark gives us a pretty clear indication that the disciples were still expecting Jesus to set up His Kingdom on earth. He would rule and reign from the throne of David right there in Jerusalem. He would defeat the Romans and make the Jews a power to be reckoned with just like they were in the glory days of David and Solomon. The nation of Israel would once again have power, prestige, and experience peace and prosperity. And the disciples saw themselves as playing significant roles in Jesus' earthly Kingdom, because they had sacrificed everything to follow Him. Remember Peter's statement to Jesus back in Matthew 19? “We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?” (Matthew 19:27 NLT). Each of the disciples were hoping to benefit greatly from their relationship with Jesus. They fully expected to be part of His inner circle when He finally quit beating around the bush and established His Kingdom.

But Jesus had a different view of what was going to happen in the days ahead. He knew full well that His mission, as given to Him by God, would first involve a crucifixion, not a coronation. He would have to suffer and die before He could rule and reign. A cross would be His next stop, not a throne. So when James and John take Jesus aside and ask Him to do them a favor and assure them the two top spots in His administration, Jesus has to correct their thinking. Matthew even indicates that they had gotten their mother involved in this whole matter. The ironic thing is that they ask Jesus to let them “sit” on His right and on His left. Jesus breaks the news to them, “You don't know what you are asking!” They really didn't want to be on His right or His left when the time came for Him to be “lifted up.” Those two spots were actually reserved for two unnamed, common criminals. Jesus knows what He is about to go through in the not-too-distant future, and He asks them, “Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?” (Mark 10:38 NLT). As was so often the case, the two disciples assure Jesus they are fully capable. “We are able!” they exclaim. They still didn't get it. They were clueless as to what was really about to take place, even though Jesus had told them repeatedly that He was going to Jerusalem to suffer and die.

When the other disciples caught wind of what James and John were doing, they were indignant. They were jealous and upset that they hadn't gone to Jesus first. All of these men were jockeying for position and battling for prime spots in what they believed to be was Jesus upcoming royal administration. So Jesus reminds them that things are slightly different in God's Kingdom. It will not be about who is the greatest. It will not be a matter of who is first and foremost. No, Jesus tells them, “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else” (Mark 10:43-44 NLT). This was not exactly what they wanted to hear. What Jesus was saying made no sense whatsoever. But Jesus assured them that this was the way things were in God's Kingdom and it even applied to Him. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for man” (Mark 10:45 NLT).

Over in the book of Luke, Jesus tells a parable to the disciples, “to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away” (Luke 19:11 NLT). Jesus was going away. After His death and resurrection, He would be returning to His rightful place at the side of His Father in heaven. And He would be leaving the disciples on earth to accomplish the mission He would be giving them. They would be expected to faithfully use all that He had given them over the last three years, and to steward the gifts that would be provided for them by the Holy Spirit when He came. So that when Jesus returned the next time, they would be found to have been faithful and rewarded in full. “…and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given” (Luke 19:26 NLT). There was much to be done before any of the disciples received their rewards or places of prominence in Christ's Kingdom. And before that could happen, they would have to faithfully complete their assignment, just as Jesus was about to do.

Another compelling reminder that Jesus' Kingdom was not going to be earthly in nature, was the anointing He received at the hands of Mary, the grateful sister of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. Mary took a 12-ounce jar of very expensive perfume and anointed Jesus' feet, wiping it off with her hair. Jesus indicates that this was in preparation for His coming burial. In other words, He was not being anointed in preparation for His coming coronation, but His crucifixion and death. So when Jesus told the disciples, “You don't know what you are asking,” He knew what He was talking about. Neither James or John would want to be on His right or left when Jesus completed His God-given assignment. He would be hanging on a tree, and hanging beside Him, on His right and left, would be two guilty criminals. For the Kingdom of God to be established, the Son of God had to suffer and die. For Jesus to eventually rule and reign, He would have to conquer sin and death.

Things were not what they seemed. The Kingdom of God would not be what the disciples expected. His Kingdom was of a spiritual nature. It involved suffering, sacrifice and servanthood. It required the sinless Son of God to selflessly give His life so that others might live. The earthly Kingdom of God is coming. Jesus will eventually rule and reign from the throne of David in Jerusalem. And the disciples will have places of prominence in that Kingdom. But much had to happen first. The enemy Jesus came to defeat was not the Romans, but Satan. The Kingdom He came to establish was not to be temporary, but permanent. And that day is coming.

Father, thank You for sending Your Son to suffer and die. Your plan was not what the disciples expected and it is often not what I would choose. But it is perfect because You are righteous, all-knowing, and good. I am grateful that Jesus sits on a throne even now and that He rules in my heart, when I am willing to allow Him to do so. He is exalted on high and sits at Your right hand, and some day He is coming back. I am grateful that the kingdom the disciples wanted never came about. I am thankful that Your plan is going to be fulfilled in perfection and the ultimate rule and reign of Christ over all the earth is coming. Amen.