 chapter 12 verses 27 through 36 now my soul is troubled and what shall I say father saved me from this hour but for this purpose I came to this hour father glorify your name then a voice came from heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it again therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered others said an angel has spoken to him Jesus answered and said this voice did not come because of me but for your sake now is the judgment of this world now the ruler of this world will be cast out and I if I am lifted up from the earth will draw all peoples to myself this he said signifying by what death he would die the people answered him we have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever how can you say the Son of man must be lifted up who is this Son of man and Jesus said to them a little while longer the light is with you walk while you have the light less darkness overtake you he who walks in darkness does not know where he's going while you have the light believe in the light that you may become sons of light these things Jesus spoke and departed and was hidden from them now as we look at this passage we need to remember that Jesus had just been approached by two of his disciples Philip and Andrew and they had brought word to him that there were certain Greeks who wanted to see him now Jesus immediately recognized the request as an indication that his time had arrived his time I was sharing with you is his appointed time the appointed time to give up his life that that appointed time for his crucifixion has finally arrived and he's going to be glorified and the way he's going to be glorified is through his death because when he dies his death will produce a harvest of believers and and we know that to be what would be called God's plan of redemption in Isaiah 53 verses 10 and 11 it says it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering he will see his offspring and prolong his days and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand after the suffering of his soul he will see the light of life and be satisfied by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many and he will bear their iniquities and so God's plan of redemption was for Jesus to bear the iniquities of people that they might come to faith in him and have a relationship with God so Jesus is about to give up his life and he's doing so voluntarily no one took his life from him he of his own will laid it down so because he is voluntarily laying down his life those who follow him are to be prepared to renounce anything anything that keeps them from the Lord in Mark 8 35 through 37 Jesus said it like this he said whoever desires to save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospels will save it then he asked the question what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul or what will a man give in exchange for his soul he's about to lay his life down voluntarily and his followers are to be prepared to renounce anything that keeps them from him and so in verse 26 he said if anyone serves me let them let them follow me where I am there my servant will be also and he went on to say if anyone serves me him my father will honor so honor from the father is to be chosen over any earthly honor we might receive from man that is a very important thing to always remember because sometimes the Lord may elevate you to a position of prominence and you can get caught up with that position of prominence and forget to honor the Lord we need to remember that no matter where it is or what we have what kind of positions we may have that that the most important thing for us is to remember to to choose to honor the Lord above anything else because when we seek honor from man we may be rejecting honor from the Lord and John 544 the question is asked how can you believe who receive honor from one another and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God how can you how can you believe when you're seeking man's praise rather than God's that's why Philippians 2 verse 3 says let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit but in loneliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself and so Jesus is here and he's speaking in verse 27 and he says my soul is troubled what shall I say father saved me from this hour but for this purpose I came to this hour he says my soul the word soul in the original language the Greek language is the word Suke and Suke speaks of the mind it's the seat of all natural feelings and emotions I'm troubled agitated when he says I'm troubled that means to be anxious or distressed I I'm disturbed or disquieted I'm restless and so when he says that my soul is troubled his words reveal a resistance the idea of a violent death he came for that purpose but it's difficult for him to go through it so what am I to do what am I to do am I to pray that God will save me from having to die well this is interesting this being the last week of his ministry on earth this is something that you see a similar thing once again later on when Jesus is in Gethsemane Mark tells us that Jesus experienced agony while he was in the garden in Mark 1434 he told Peter James and John he said my soul is exceedingly sorrowful even to death then he went on to say in verses 35 and 36 Mark says he went a little farther fell on the ground prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass from him he said Abba father all things are possible for you take this cup away from me nevertheless not what I will but what you will my soul is troubled he says what shall I say father saved me from this hour later on he was praying they're in that garden and then Luke reminds us and the physician Luke says that he was sweating as it were great great droplets of blood he was in that kind of anxiety that kind of stress that kind of of agony and he was praying that same kind of thing but he he's already prepared when he said my soul is troubled but what shall I say saved me because it goes on to say this purpose I came to the hour I came for this purpose I know Jesus is saying my purpose I know why it came I came to do just this today I came to lay my life down in Matthew 28 and 19 he said we're going up to Jerusalem the son of man will be betrayed to the chief priests to the scribes they will condemn him to death deliver him to the Gentiles to mock discourage to crucify but it went on to say in the third day he will rise again what am I to say Lord save me from this hour no for this purpose I came to this hour I'm gonna be rejected Jesus says I'm gonna be put to death that's because he's what is called the wounded healer that's because he understands man he goes to things that man goes through he's aware of our sorrows Isaiah 53 verse 3 he's despised rejected by men a man of sorrows acquainted with grief and we hit as it were our faces from him he was despised we did not esteem him so should I attempt to avoid laying down my life in this fashion no because this is why I've come this is why I came in the first place in Hebrews 2 verse 10 it says it was fitting for him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many sons to glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings so in doing my father's will I'm looking past the crucifixion to the future to the fruit to the glory the psalmist in Psalm 40 verses 7 and 8 said wrote then I said behold I come in the scroll of the book it's written of me I delight to do your will oh my God your lies within my heart so this joy of laying his life down in order that he might be reunited with his father and that he might bring many people to to heaven with him is what motivated him Hebrews 12 to says looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame sat down at the right hand of the throne of God and so he says my soul is troubled what shall I say save me but for this purpose I came then he goes into verse 28 and he says father glorify your name a voice came from heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it again glorify your name Jesus obviously is praying that that the Lord might receive glory that his father might be glorified in Ephesians chapter 2 verses 4 through 7 Paul said God who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in trespasses made us alive together with Christ by grace you've been saved and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus and so he says father glorify your name and notice verse 28 again a voice came from heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it again this isn't the first time we read in Scripture of God's voice ringing out from the heavens when Jesus was baptized it's recorded in Matthew 3 17 that suddenly a voice came from heaven saying this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased you read in Mark chapter 9 verse 7 and at what is called the transfiguration where it says a cloud came and overshadowed them a voice came out of the cloud saying this is my beloved son hear him well here we once again have an example of the Lord speaking a voice came from heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it again in other words I have glorified it in the past I will I will glorify myself in the future and it will be especially something that will happen will especially bring glory to me and that is when Jesus goes to the cross and when he's resurrected somebody wrote his life revealed the mercy love and majesty of the father and had to many glorified the father's name his upcoming death and resurrection will reveal God's character and therefore glorify the father's name to the entire world well as this is taking place he's saying my soul is troubled father glorify your name and then this voice comes and says I have both glorified it and will glorify it again notice what happens verse 29 the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered others said an angel has spoken and so they're listening and they hear but they don't get it when it says the people the word people there you might find this interesting if you take notes it is interesting the word the people is really speaking of a multitude a great amount of people is what it's speaking about not just two or three people is speaking about a great amount the people is a crowd so within this crowd within the multitude of people some hear the voice and I want to speak on this for just a moment some hear the voice but to them it's a natural phenomena to them it's something like thunder they hear the sound but it's natural to them it's like it's like like they say it well some are saying it thundered it's just a natural thing but others hear it and they attach spiritual significance to it they say an angel spoke to him now in order to understand that we need to remember that at this time there were there was there were rabbinic teachings related to angels and all and there were those who who thought that God did not speak to men but instead would do so through them through the agency of angels you see that in Hebrews chapter 2 verse 2 where the writer says the message spoken through angels was binding in Galatians 3 19 it says the law was given through angels and trusted to a mediator and so there was a common belief at that time amongst many people through the rabbinic teachings that God himself wouldn't speak but angels would do it and that's one of the reasons why they're attaching spiritual significance to this they're saying an angel has spoken to him what's interesting is you have on the one hand people who are just very natural just natural people they're just natural unspiritual people and you have others who have a bit of a spiritual understanding so on the one hand you have someone say well it's just thundering on the other hand you have people say no an angel is speaking to him and I find that interesting to see that contrast by way of application people can hear the same words but still not understand what's being communicated they can hear God's voice as a word is taught but they think it's just that guy's opinion they don't have the Holy Spirit they don't hear what's being said you you can go to a Bible study a church service and as an unbeliever and you hear the same words that that the person's next to you is hearing same words you hear the same story you hear everything the same and yet an invitation is given and one guy remains in his seat because he's saying in his own heart it thundered it's a natural thing this guy's eloquent perhaps he's intelligent perhaps he got opinions perhaps whatever he's thinking well now that's true that may be true that may not be true and so this message is being given and one person is sitting there saying you know when is this over I got to get going whatever because they're the natural man then you have somebody else in the same place listening saying that's the voice of God there's something spiritual about what's taking place it happens every time I teach every time there are people who are seated there who say it's just thunder it's just words it's just noise there are others who are saying well there's something spiritual here an angel spoke the interesting thing I want you to notice this is verse 28 because in verse 28 it says a voice came from heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it again John heard the voice John heard the words one person saying an angel speaking another one saying thunder but John is telling us and this gives us insight there's the natural man who rejects the things of the Spirit of God there's the spiritual minded person who can pick up bits and pieces of it and then there's a person who knows the Lord who says this is exactly what he said so you see that in this in these two verses here they hear the same thing but some understand because the Holy Spirit made it clear to them in first Corinthians 214 and I'm using what is called the new living translation because it reads easier it says people who aren't Christians can't understand these truths from God's Spirit it all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means and that's true that's true only those with the Spirit of the Lord can understand what God is saying the natural man receive it not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness foolishness to them neither can you know them for they are spiritually discerned that's what first Corinthians 214 says the natural man the natural man is the unspiritual man the non-Christian the natural man the person who doesn't have the Spirit of God the natural man doesn't receive the word receive in the Greek language doesn't welcome doesn't accept doesn't invite in the natural man the unspiritual man does not welcome in does not invite in the things of the Spirit of God why because they are foolishness the word foolishness means imbecilic or moronic they make no sense the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness neither can he know them he doesn't have personal experience with them why because they're spiritually received a believer can hear a Bible study and and and it is deep calling to deep there's words of truth and as they listen to the Bible being explained the Holy Spirit takes the words and and as they're listening they have this this connection to what's being said and they say I get it I see I understand that that's true because God takes his word and he knits it in your heart when you receive it by faith but a person who doesn't know the Lord they don't receive it but you know that you know I admire you Christians you know I think that you do good it's nice that you have charities and I'm glad that you guys had orphanages and I realize that you guys started colleges and and that you're behind you know all so many acts of mercy hospitals they came from your faith and there's quite a number of things that the Christian Christianity brought into the world that people take for granted and didn't even realize that it was because of our love for Christ that we actually started the Red Cross that we actually had the first universities in the United States and the first universities Harvard and Princeton and Yale the first universities were started in order to train ministers of the gospel to go out and reach the indigenous peoples and bring them to faith in Jesus Christ most people don't know that because they have forgotten their history they have forgotten Princeton used to be that was was actually a seminary Princeton and it became what it is today all we know of Princeton Harvard Yale and all of the Ivy League schools now as we just know that they put out a lot of very brilliant atheists and agnostics but in their origin they were training people to take the gospel to the world that's why they were started to reach people with the message of Christ they have forgotten their history they have forgotten why they even began in the first place you see and so there are people who who are kind of like they they they nod appreciate in appreciation towards believers because perhaps they're educated to realize that the hospitals and and orphanages and and charitable institutions and all of that that were really originated with Christians who cared about the hurt and the orphans and how do we take care of them so we did welfare we helped them not welfare as you know what here in the United States but we helped it we helped them to to to live to survive to be to be trained and and that's that's what the church is always done so somebody sits and they listen to what's being said and they say well you know that makes some sense and all of that but it's still still looked at as being well it's just a philosophy and and they'll say things like you know atheists can do good things too and and Buddhists can and so can Muslims and also what makes yours any better than theirs and and they'll they'll say that you know it's under then there's others who say well no an angel spoke you know there's some spiritual truth to this there's a quality of truth that's spiritual not natural but John because he knows Jesus is able to say no this is what he said I have both glorified it and will glorify it again so you have three different types of responses a natural kind of a spiritual and are one that's spiritual spiritually led and taught which is John and John makes it very clear that God is saying I glorified it and I will glorify it again and so as this is taking place first 30 Jesus answered and he said this voice did not come because of me but for your sake I don't need any audible confirmation I already know what I'm here for but you needed to hear this this voice you're hearing this sound you're hearing is confirming my ministry this voice really is for your benefit not mine and maybe that those Greeks who had wanted to see Jesus maybe those Greeks who were present needed such a sign and so he says this is why it is it's for your sake and not for mine and so in verse 31 now now is the judgment of this world now the ruler of this world will be cast out and and I if I am lifted up from the earth will draw all people to myself and this he said signifying by what death he would die now is the judgment of this world that that word judgment when you look up its meaning it speaks of a decision that has been given especially concerning justice or injustice or that which is right or that which is wrong a decision concerning justice injustice or the right or wrong the point is though the world is about to condemn itself by the way that it treats Jesus the world is about to put God's son to death thus rejecting their only way to salvation in John 3 18 and 19 Jesus said he who believes in him is not condemned but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God and this is the condemnation that the light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil they they like the darkness because the darkness hides their deeds it hides it you know crimes are committed 24-7 of course but many people prefer the darkness to commit their crimes in sin happens all the time 24-7 many people prefer the darkness to engage in their sins and so people love the darkness and that's what it is they got they're going to be putting God's son to death they're rejecting their only way to salvation so judgment has come and notice he says the ruler of this world will be cast out and so many says the ruler that word ruler is also translated chief or leader so the ruler the chief the leader of this world will be notice cast out so in verse 31 Satan is referred to as a prince a ruler and this was actually what has been called a rabbinic title for Satan the prince of this age or the prince of this world Satan is the ruler Jesus said the devil who has so long reigned and enslaved mankind Jesus is saying is about to be dethroned now Satan received authority when he deceived Eve and Adam voluntarily sinned it says in Luke chapter 4 verses 5 and 6 that when Jesus was being tempted that the devil taking him up on a high mountain showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time and the devil said to him all this authority I will give you and their glory for this has been delivered to me and I give it to whomever I wish through his deception he got a position where he could even say to Jesus this has been given to me it was yielded to me and I have authority I can use it Jesus in John 14 30 says I will no longer talk much with you for the ruler of this world is coming he has nothing in me and at first John 5 19 John said it like this he said we know that we are of God and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one he's called the prince of this age the prince of the world there are those who say they don't believe in the devil but Jesus most certainly spoke to him and spoke because he is real and he's speaking about him being dealt with he's to be dethroned you know Satan's goal is to keep mankind in spiritual blindness to continue to encourage people to reject Jesus's offer of salvation in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 verses 3 and 4 Paul said even if our gospel is veiled it's veiled to those who are perishing whose minds the God of this age has blinded who do not believe lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ is the image of God should shine on them it's veiled the enemy wants to keep us in spiritual blindness he wants to keep us in spiritual bondage but Jesus says Satan is about to be dethroned he's about to be deprived of the power he exercises in the hearts of unbelievers you see the sacrifice of Jesus and the message of the gospel sets captives free and he's about to give a basis for the judgment of the world the overthrowing of Satan the establishment of his kingdom through his followers and so he says in verse 32 he said if I be lifted up from the earth I will draw all peoples to myself when I first got saved that scripture was first introduced to me but it was misinterpreted and for a long time you know when you're when you're new created this way when you're a new Christian and you're reading the Bible you might get something you think is some kind of wonderful inside a revelation and when in fact you just miss reading the scripture and so my friends we're all brand new Christians I mean the oldest person amongst us in the Lord was a year old in faith I remember being at a Bible study where this young woman said today is my spiritual birthday I'm one year old in Jesus and and I was seated there and I was only a month and a half old in Jesus and I was thinking wow it was like I was looking at the apostle Paul you know Pauline and as and I'll never forget that I thinking man what's it going to be like when I've been a Christian a whole year a whole year and so you know babies are interesting when babies try to feed one another you ever watch baby try and feed another baby it's very humorous except to the mom who has to clean them up because I have seen it where an infant will just take the little hand in whatever the applesauce and then try and put it in the mouth of the baby next to him have you ever seen I have you know and then the other one will do that their faces are all messed up and filled with applesauce and all of that babies feeding babies always make a mess and when young believers are trying to feed other believers we can make a mess and so there I was getting some applesauce in my face you know because they're saying Jesus said if I be lifted up I will draw all men into myself and then they said so that's what we're doing right now we're singing and worshiping and praying and we're lifting him up but that's not what Jesus is talking about what Jesus said if I be lifted up what he is meaning is when I'm crucified he was lifted up under the cross and when I am crucified when I am put to death when I die for the sin of the whole world is what he's referring to he says if I be lifted up from there it's the crucifixion it's the death of Christ that draws people when I'm crucified though it appears I lost yet I will be victorious and by it by my death I will draw people to myself you see the Holy Spirit draws people to Christ through the preaching of the cross we make a big mistake when we think we can entertain people into salvation we make a big mistake when we think we can sing them into salvation the way you get saved is not by being entertained we know this we aren't saved because we like that song we're saved because the gospel of Jesus was proclaimed to us and it's the gospel that sets us free in 1 Corinthians 1 17 and 18 Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel not with wisdom of words lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God in Romans 1 16 and 17 I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ it's the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes for the Jew first and also the Greek for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written that just shall live by faith I'm not ashamed of the gospel it's a power of God into salvation and so we make a big mistake when we don't preach the gospel we make a big mistake when we substitute man's inventive kinds of ideas and we pollute that I'll be teaching this on Sunday mixing man's wisdom with with our philosophy and producing people who believe what we're saying but not God himself it's the gospel that saves you it's the word of God we need to understand that today it's the gospel it's the truth of the gospel that purifies minds it's the truth of the gospel that illuminates darkened understanding and so I'm 36 verse 9 it says with you is the fountain of life in your light we see light and so Jesus said I will be lifted up and I will draw all people to myself and he says in verse 33 this he said signified by what death he would die well verse 34 the people answered him we've heard from the law that the Christ remains forever how can you say the son of man must be lifted up who is the son of man Jesus said to them a little while longer the light is with you walk while you have the light less darkness overtake you he who walks in darkness does not know where he's going while you have the light believe in the light that you may become sons of light these things Jesus spoke and departed and was hidden from them well we've heard they say in verse 34 that crisis to remain when he says we've heard from the law that speaks of the normally the first five books of the Old Testament which is referred to as the law of Moses but here it appears to have a broader meaning it speaks of scripture in general you see in Daniel 714 it says then to him was given dominion and glory in a kingdom that all peoples nations and languages should serve him his dominion is the never lasting dominion which shall not pass away his kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed well we've heard that that when Messiah comes that that he's going to continue that he remains forever so they had drawn the conclusion that Messiah cannot die because scripture said his throne kingdom and reign shall be eternal so they're confused and that's why in verse 35 Jesus said a little while longer the light is with you walk while you have the light you see Jesus who is the light of life is going to give up his life for them and the darkness according to verse 35 the darkness desires to dominate but suddenly sees and control you so walk in the light so that you can see where you're going and be free and be free he says in verse 35 he who walks in darkness doesn't know where he's going in John 11 10 if one walks in the night he stumbles because the light's not in him in Romans 13 12 through 14 the night is far spent the day is at hand therefore let us cast off the works of darkness let us put on the armor of light let us walk properly as in the day not in revelry and drunkenness not in lewdness and lust not in strife and envy put on the Lord Jesus Christ make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust and so Jesus is saying this verse 36 where you have the light believe in the light that you may become sons of light well you have the light believe well you have me follow me when you have the light believe in the light either you're walking in darkness or you're walking in the light but you don't do it simultaneously either you walk in darkness habitually living a life of spiritual darkness or you come to faith in Jesus Christ and you learn to walk in his light when you walk in his light as he is in the light then you have fellowship with another in the blood of Jesus Christ to send cleanses you from all sin so you have fellowship with God in one another your life is pure and you have a relationship that is centered on Christ and so Jesus is making it very clear soon this light will be taken he's about to be crucified but you need to believe in him to believe in him is going to make you into what is called a child or children of the light so instead of being children of darkness you're going to be children of the light and one thing about light and darkness is under normal circumstances they don't coexist because if you want to drive darkness out all you need to do is turn on a light right you go into your room and it's dark all you need to do is turn on a light when you turn on the light you know in a metaphoric way you turn on the light and the darkness flees because darkness cannot exist where there's light so we have to make a choice guys am I gonna walk in the light as he's in the light or am I gonna walk in darkness I can't do both so I make a decision the decision is I will walk in the light I will follow Christ I will have relationship with him Jesus laid his life down for me and I will follow him