The Mission of Christ | Sermon 10/15/2023

John 12:27-36

At the coming of the Greeks, Jesus recognized His hour of crucifixion had come. And despite the predominant theme of the deity of Christ in the Gospel according to John, we see here glimpses of the humanity of Jesus. His soul was greatly troubled. The horror of the cross will be unprecedented in the history of the world. He stands upon the edge of a chasm about to face His fate. Because He became like one of us, He can represent us on that cross and He can sympathize with our weaknesses; He has seen the effects of sin. These qualities make Jesus the perfect Savior. Despite a desire for this cup to pass, His desire for obedience and glory to the Father is supreme.

Jesus prays to the Father to glorify His own name. And an audible voice thundered from heaven that even the nearby crowd heard. This was an attestation that Jesus is who He says He is. Now that His mission is about to be fulfilled judgment has come upon the world. Judgment because when Christ dies and rises again, if you are with Him, you are saved, and if you are against Him, you are judged. And thus also begins the casting out of the devil, the ruler of the world. The cross may have seemed like his victory but it was actually Satan’s greatest defeat. Because when He is lifted up on the cross, He will draw all types of men to Himself. The eschatological promises of the Messiah begin now and consummate at His second coming.

The crowd did not understand why He would have to be exalted and leave them when they see the Messiah as one who establishes an earthly reign that stretches into eternity. Jesus will leave that be for now and tell them their opportunity is in this moment. Believe in the Light while it is still light. Don’t wait until He leaves and darkness comes. And when He finished saying these things, almost as if to act out the foreboding statement He just made, He left and hid Himself from them. The mission of the Christ is soon to be finished.