October 18th, 2020
“Life from Death”
John 12:20-36
Call to Worship: Psalm 32
Aux. text: Ephesians 4:17-24
Service Orientation: The royal life of a Christian begins with a coronation that doubles as a crucifixion.
Bible Memory Verse for the Week: I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. — John 12:24
Background Information:
- Between verses 19 and 20 a day or two had elapsed: Jesus was no longer on the road to Jerusalem, but teaching daily in the temple precincts. And in the meantime, according to Mk 11:15-17, he had expelled the traders and money changers from the precincts–that is, more precisely, from the outer court–in order that the place might fulfill its divinely ordained purpose of being “a house of prayer for all the nations” (Isa 56:7). Did these Greeks recognize his action as having been undertaken in the interests of Gentiles like themselves who, when they came up to worship the true God, had to confine themselves to the outer court? (F. F. Bruce, The Gospel of John, 263)
- (v. 20) At the very time the leaders of Israel sought to kill Him, the Greeks desired to see Him. This was the first voice from the outside world which gave a hint of the awakening consciousness that Jesus was about to be the Savior of the Gentiles as well as the Jews. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 673)
- (v. 20) The coming of the Gentiles, who represent a waiting world, is the sign that the time to lay down His life has come. (Roger L. Fredrikson, The Communicator’s Commentary: John, 210)
- (v. 22) Perhaps Philip hesitated to take them directly to Jesus because he remembered the Lord’s admonition to the Twelve: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans” (Mt 10:5), and His declaration that He “was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt 15:24). The Lord was also undoubtedly hard to reach in the crowds, and Philip may have wondered if it was possible or appropriate to interrupt Him. Furthermore, with Jesus’ enemies watching His every move, Philip may have surmised that it was dangerous for the Jews to see Him talking with Gentiles. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur NT Commentary: John 12-21, 26)
- (v. 23) Significantly, this is the first time that Jesus spoke of His hour as being present; in all previous references in John’s gospel, it had not yet arrived (2:4; 7:30; 8:20; cf. 7:6, 8). From this point on the Lord referred to it as imminent (v. 27; 13:1; 16:32; 17:1). (John MacArthur, The MacArthur NT Commentary: John 12-21, 27)
- (v. 23) As we read the apocalyptical writings, we detect that there is not always full agreement as to who the Son of Man is or what he will do. He is a Messianic figure, but a shadowy one. Consequently, there must have been a wide variety of opinions concerning him in Christ’s day. Here we probably have a clue as to why Jesus used this term rather than another to describe himself. The other terms–Messiah, Son of God, Deliverer–all had very fixed meanings, and the meanings were not those Jesus wished to have attached to his ministry. (James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of John, Vol. 3, 960)
- (vss. 24-26) These three verses suggest that the Cross is the symbol not only of man’s salvation, but also of the Christian way of life. (George Arthur Buttrick, The Interpreter’s Bible, Vol 8, 663)
- (v. 25) To love one’s life here means to give it priority over the interests of God’s kingdom; similarly to hate one’s life is to give priority over it to the interests of God’s kingdom. (F. F. Bruce, The Gospel of John, 265)
- (v. 25) 12:25 is the most frequently recorded saying of Jesus in the NT. It is found six times in the Gospels (cf. Mt 16:25; Mk 8:35; Lk 9:24; 17:33; Jn 12:25). If a person seeks to preserve his own life he will lose it, but if for the sake of Christ he lets it go he will find it. That self-seeking is self-defeating (Filson, 134) is the central paradox of Christian living. (Robert H. Mounce, New International Biblical Commentary: Matthew, 99)
- (v. 27) His heart is deeply troubled (cf. Also notes on 11:33-35). The verb is a strong one, and signifies revulsion, horror, anxiety, agitation (cf. Thüsing, 79-89). (D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, 440)
- (v. 27) Unlike the synoptic Gospels, John does not record Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane prior to his crucifixion (Mt 26:36-46; Mk 14:32-42; Lk 22:39-46). This is the only indication in John that Jesus was troubled by that approaching hour. His agony proves the genuineness of his humanity. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: John, 257)
- (v. 28) It is significant that the Father spoke to the Son at the beginning of the Son’s ministry (Mt 3:17), as the Son began His journey to Jerusalem (Mt 17:5), and now as the Son entered the last days before the cross. God always gives that word of assurance to those who willingly suffer for His sake. (Warren W. Wiersby, Be Alive, 193)
- (v. 29) Is that what the Word of God sounds like to you–indistinguishable noise? Or has God, in His mercy, given you ears to hear when He speaks? I pray your ears have been opened and that God will give you a deeper understanding of His Word. (R.C. Sproul, John: An Expositional Commentary, 218)
- (v. 29) Thunder was often associated in the OT with the voice of God (e.g., Ex 19:16, 19; 2 Sm 22:14; Job 37:2-5; 40:9; Ps 18:13; 29:3), while in Revelation it emanates from heaven (Rv 4:5; 11:19; 14:1). (John MacArthur, The MacArthur NT Commentary: John 12-21, 40)
- (v. 34) In the Gospels, with the sole exception of 12:34, the term the Son of man is never used by anyone else than by Jesus himself. It is his self-designation. (William Hendriksen, NT Commentary: John 7-21, 206)
- (v. 34) Jesus probably used this self-designation in order to indicate his own heavenly, transcendent nature. He is the One who comes from above, the One to whom the final judgment has been committed, who will come with the clouds in great glory. He is, accordingly, not at all the political, earthly, nationalistic Messiah of Jewish expectation. He is not only king of Israel but king of kings. (William Hendriksen, NT Commentary: John 7-21, 206)
- (v. 34) The crowd sets itself in contrast to Jesus. Their “we” and their “you” are both emphatic. They are sure that they are right in saying that Scripture teaches certain things about the Christ (see on 1:20, 41), but Jesus is teaching something different. (Leon Morris, The New Int’l Commentary on the NT: John, 532)
- (v. 34) The people had heard from the Law (i.e., the OT Scriptures–see 10:34) that the Messiah would live and reign forever (see Ps 72:17; Isa 9:6-7; Ezek 37:26-28). They had believed that Jesus had been making a claim to be the Messiah, and here they were waving palm branches for a victorious Messiah who they thought would set up a political, earthly kingdom that would never end. So it was difficult for them to believe that Jesus was the Messiah when he spoke of his imminent death–and that on a cross. Therefore, they wanted clarification about what Jesus meant when he used the tern the Son of Man. Was this Son of Man someone different than the Messiah? And if so, who was the Son of Man? (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: John, 260)
- (v. 35) They have 48 hours left in which to take advantage of the illumination He brings. Then will come darkness as the Light is removed from them to seal up their fate as a nation. (C.S. Lovett, Lovett’s Lights on John, 214)
- This marked the end of our Lord’s public ministry as far as John’s record is concerned. Jesus departed and hid Himself. It was judgment on the nation that saw His miracles, heard His messages, and scrutinized His ministry and yet refused to believe in Him. (Warren W. Wiersby, Be Alive, 194)
The question to be answered is . . . What does Jesus teach us here about the Christian life?
Answer: God uses death to bring growth and life. This world will be judged because it brings death from pseudo-life. Jesus is the Light to real Life.
The Word for the Day is . . . Mortify
What does Jesus teach about how real life is advanced?:
I- Real life emerges from death. (Jn 12:24-25; see also: Mt 10:37-39; 16:24-25; 20:28; 23:12; Mk 8:34-38; Lk 9:23-27; 14:25-27; 17:33; Rom 6:1-11; 7:1-13; 12:1-2; 1 Cor 15:36; Gal 2:20; Eph 4:17-32; Col 3:1-14; 2 Tm 2:11; Rv 12:11)
When Christ calls a man he bids him come and die. —Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Because this world is fallen and because natural man is perverted and corrupt; only the death of the self and its desires, agenda, values and will can provide mankind with the hope that we may discover the real life of righteousness, security and peace that God gave mankind at creation. — PK
The grain of wheat was ineffective and unfruitful so long as it was preserved, as it were, in safety and security. It was when it was thrown into the cold ground, and buried there as if in a tomb, that it bore fruit. It was by the death of the martyrs that the Church grew. In the famous phrase: “The blood of the martyrs was the seed of the Church.” (William Barclay, Daily Study Bible Series: John, Vol. 2, 123)
To deny oneself means to surrender immediate material gratification in order to discover and secure one’s true self and God’s interests. It is a willingness to let go of selfish desires and earthly security. This attitude turns self-centeredness to God-centeredness. “Self” is no longer in charge; God is. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary–Matthew, 331)
Our Lord said that the one who loves his own life destroys it. Was he saying we should cultivate a hatred of life? Of course not. But he is telling us to die to ourselves, that we only find life when we lose it. Whether in this world or the world to come, our potential is never reached except through death to sin and denial of self. Whatever we want to become (God willing) musically, athletically, academically, or whatever, death is the key. (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 300)
To deny oneself means in every moment of life to say no to self and yes to God. To deny oneself means finally, once and for all to dethrone self and to enthrone God. To deny oneself means to obliterate self as the dominant principle of life, and to make God the ruling principle–more, the ruling passion–of life. The life of constant self-denial is the life of constant assent to God. (William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew Volume Two, 176)
For a disciple of Christ to take up his cross is for him to be willing to start on a death march. To be a disciple of Jesus Christ is to be willing, in His service, to suffer the indignities, the pain, and even the death of a condemned criminal. (Dr. John F. MacArthur, Jr., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary–Matthew 16-23, 49)
They must take up a cross. That is to say, they must take up the burden of sacrifice. The Christian life is the life of sacrificial service. Christians may have to abandon personal ambition to serve Christ; it may be that they will discover that the place where they can render the greatest service to Jesus Christ is somewhere where the reward will be small and the prestige non-existent. They will certainly have to sacrifice time and leisure and pleasure in order to serve God through the service of others. (William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew Volume Two, 176-177)
You die to yourself by putting aside self-righteousness, self-indulgence, and everything that belongs to you–your desires, your ambitions, your thoughts, your dreams, and your possessions. (David Platt, Christ-Centered Exposition–Exalting Jesus in Matthew, 220)
For the early disciples, the language of taking up your cross would have immediately brought to mind images of crucifixion. Anyone carrying his cross was a dead man walking. Your life as you once knew it was over. (David Platt, Christ-Centered Exposition–Exalting Jesus in Matthew, 220)
True followers of Jesus must have their priorities in order; if they choose to love their own lives more than their Master, they will lose the very life they seek to maintain. True disciples must be willing to suffer and experience rejection, even unto death if need be. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: John, 255-6)
The person who loves his life will lose it: it could not be otherwise, for to love one’s life is a fundamental denial of God’s sovereignty, of God’s rights, and a brazen elevation of self to the apogee of one’s perception, and therefore an idolatrous focus on self, which is the heart of all sin. (D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, 438-9)
The self of which Jesus is speaking is rather the natural, sinful, rebellious, unredeemed self that is at the center of every fallen person and that can even reclaim temporary control over a Christian. It is the fleshly body, the “old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit” (Eph 4:22) and is yet to be redeemed in glorification (cf. Rom 8:23). To deny that self is to confess with Paul, “I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh” (Rom 7:18). To deny that self is to have the sincere, genuine conviction that one has nothing in his humanness to commend himself before God, nothing worthwhile to offer Him at all. (Dr. John F. MacArthur, Jr., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary–Matthew 16-23, 47-8)
Jesus used the image of a seed to illustrate the great spiritual truth that there can be no glory without suffering, no fruitful life without death, no victory without surrender. (Warren W. Wiersby, Be Alive, 191)
To deny oneself means to renounce the old self, the self as it is apart from regenerating grace. A person who denies himself gives up all reliance on whatever he is by nature, and depends for salvation on God alone. He no longer seeks to promote his own predominantly selfish interests but has become wrapped up in the cause of promoting the glory of God in his own and in every life, and also in every sphere of endeavor. (William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary–Matthew, 656)
Denying self means subjecting oneself to Christ’s discipline. (William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary–Matthew, 656)
The verb translated “lose” often means “destroy” (Phillips, “The man who loves his own life will destroy it”). John means us to understand that loving the life is a self-defeating process. It destroys the very life it seeks to retain. (Leon Morris, The New Int’l Commentary on the NT: John, 527)
We read, “The man who loves (or hates) his life,” and he shall keep his “life,” and for us there is no way of telling that the words “life” and “life” are different in the original language. Yet this is the heart of what the verse {25} is saying. The first word {translated life} is psuche, which refers to the life of the mind. We call it the ego. It means the human personality that thinks, plans for the future, and charts its course. Jesus is saying that this is what must die. In other words, the independent will of man must die, so that the follower of Christ actively submits his will to him. The other word is zoe, which, joined to the adjective “eternal,” means the divine life. Every Christian has this eternal or divine life now, but he has it in its fullness only when his entire personality with all its likes and desires is surrendered to Christ. (James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of John, Vol. 3, 941)
It is not pleasant to be crucified, I know. But you will never truly live in the full spiritual sense until you are. (James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of John, Vol. 3, 941)
George Müller exercised a wide influence for God. When someone asked him, “What has been the secret of your life?” Müller hung his head and said, “there was a day when I died.” Then he bent lower and said, “Died to George Müller, his opinions, preferences, tastes, and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame even of brethren or friends.” The kind of power, reign, and royalty that death brings to life will make the pretenders of this world turn green with envy. (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 301)
To love this life is not in itself wrong, provided that we only pass through it as pilgrims, keeping our eyes always fixed on our object. For the true limit of loving life is, when we continue in it as long as it pleases God, and when we are prepared to leave it as soon as he shall order us, or–to express it in a single word–when we carry it, as it were, in our hands, and offer it to God as a sacrifice. Whoever carries his attachment to the present life beyond this limit, destroys his life; that is, he consigns it to everlasting ruin. (Calvin’s Commentary on the Gospel of John, Vol. XVIII, 29)
To make the meaning still more clear, the phrase in this world, which is but once expressed, ought to be twice repeated, so that the meaning may be, “They do not take the proper method of preserving their life who love it in this world, but, on the other hand, they truly know how to preserve their life who despise it in this world.” And, indeed, whoever is attached to the world does, of his own accord, deprive himself of the heavenly life, of which we cannot be heirs in any other way than by being strangers and foreigners in the world. (Calvin’s Commentary on the Gospel of John, Vol. XVIII, 29-30)
Consequently, whoever does not look to heaven, has not yet learned in what way life must be preserved. Besides, this latter clause was added by Christ, in order to strike terror into those who are too desirous of the earthly life; for if we are overwhelmed by the love of the world, so that we cannot easily forget it, it is impossible for us to go to heaven. (Calvin’s Commentary on the Gospel of John, Vol. XVIII, 30)
In his Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin taught that “the sum of the Christian life” is self-denial. (Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Matthew–All Authority in Heaven and on Earth, 462)
Loving our life means that we guard our life so jealously that we squander it on our own pleasures and purposes. In contrast, hating our life means consistently using our resources to follow Christ. It does not mean that we long to die or that we are careless or destructive with the life God has given, but that we are free from self-centeredness and are willing to die if doing so will glorify Christ. We must disown the tyrannical rule of our own self-centeredness. By laying aside our striving for advantage, security, and pleasure, we can serve God lovingly and freely. Releasing control of our life and transferring control to Christ brings eternal life and genuine joy. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: John, 256)
Real discipleship implies real commitment–pledging our whole existence to his service. If we try to save our physical lives from death, pain, or discomfort, we may risk losing our true eternal lives. If we protect ourselves from pain, we begin to die spiritually and emotionally. Our lives turn inward, and we lose our intended purpose. When we give our lives in service to Christ, however, we discover the real purpose of living. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary–Matthew, 333)
The empires founded on force have vanished, leaving only a memory which with the years becomes ever fainter. But the empire of Christ, founded upon a Cross, each year extends its sway. (William Barclay, Daily Study Bible Series: John, Vol. 2, 129)
Between the Old and the New Testament there arose a whole series of books about the golden age and how it was to come. Amidst their troubles and their sufferings, in their subjections and their slaveries, the Jews never forgot and never gave up their dream. One of these books was specially influential–the Book of Enoch and it repeatedly speaks about that Son of Man. In Enoch The Son of Man is a tremendous figure who, as it were, is being held in leash by God. But the day will come when God will release him and he will come with a divine power against which no man and no kingdom will be able to stand, and smash the way to world empire for the Jews.
To the Jews the Son of Man stood for the undefeatable world conqueror sent by God. So Jesus says: “The hour has come when the Son of Man must be glorified.” When he said that, the listeners would catch their breath. They would believe that the trumpet call of eternity had sounded, that the might of heaven was on the march, and that the campaign of victory was on the move. (William Barclay, Daily Study Bible Series: John, Vol. 2, 122)
The spiritual life is governed by similar paradoxes. “[God’s] power is made perfect in [our] weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). Do we want to be rich? We must become poor in spirit. Do we want to be first? We must be willing to be last. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Pt 5:6). If we want to rule, we have to serve. If we want to live, we have to die. (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 301)
The renovation of the world must be preceded by mortification. (Calvin’s Commentary on the Gospel of John, Vol. XVIII, 36)
II- God judges those who expect life from their natural lives. (Jn 12:31, 34; see also: Mt 12:36-42; 13:30-50; ch 25; Jn 3:17-21; Acts 17:30-31; Rom 2:5-16; 2 Cor 5:10; 2 Pt 3:7-12)
Their {Gentiles} wish to see (i.e., have an audience with) Jesus stood in direct contrast to the open hostility of the Jewish religious leaders, as well as the superficial interest of the fickle crowd. Significantly, just days before Jesus’ own people would verbalize their final rejection in the cry for His crucifixion, Gentiles sought to know more about Him. Israel’s willful rejection would be sealed by divine judgment, as God set the nation aside and turned to the rest of the world (cf. 10:16; 11:52) with the gospel and the commission to be a witnessing people on His behalf. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur NT Commentary: John 12-21, 25)
The world thought it was passing judgment on Jesus, not only as it perpetually debated who he was (e.g., 6:14, 42, 60; 7:15; 8:48, 52-53; 9:29; 10:19; 11:37), but climactically in the cross. In reality, the cross was passing judgment on them. Since Jesus was sent as his Father’s representative, his agent and the supreme divine revelation, rejection of the Son is rejection of God himself (5:23). (D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, 443)
The crowd’s inability to understand God’s voice illustrates the hard-heartedness that was typical of the people, who had likewise failed to hear the voice of God’s word (Mk 4:15) and His Son (Jn 8:43). The issue is not that God is silent, but that fallen, sinful people are deaf. This reality is the result of sinful fallenness and divine sovereign judgment (cf. Isa 6:9-10; Mt 13:14-15; Jn 12:40; Acts 28:26-27). Therefore “while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand” (Mt `13:13). (Unbelievers, being dead in sin (Eph 2:1), members of Satan’s kingdom (Col 1:13), and blinded by him to the truth of the gospel (2 Cor 4:4) have no capacity for understanding God’s Word. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (1 Cor 2:14). (John MacArthur, The MacArthur NT Commentary: John 12-21, 40-1)
We take the term world here as indicating the Jewish people who rejected him, their leaders who condemned him, Judas who betrayed him, the soldiers who mocked him, Pilate who sentenced him–in brief, this whole society of evil men, alienated from God and having the devil as its prince. It had tried the Christ, and had cast him out. Little did the world realize that by means of this very action it had condemned itself. (William Hendriksen, NT Commentary: John 7-21, 202)
Satan was defeated in what appeared outwardly to be the very moment of his triumph. (Leon Morris, The New Int’l Commentary on the NT: John, 531)
Not only would Christ’s death bring judgment on the evil world system, but also at the same time on its wicked ruler, Satan (cf. 14:30; 16;11; Lk 4:5-6; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2; 1 Jn 5:19). (John MacArthur, The MacArthur NT Commentary: John 12-21, 42)
III- Jesus (The Son of Man) is our Light and our example to follow for pursing real life. (Jn 12:23, 26-27, 34-36; see also: Mt 16:21-25; 26:39; Mk 10:45; 14:36; Lk 9:23-28; 14:26-27; 22:42; Jn 1:4-9; 4:34; 5:30; 6:38; 8:12; 9:5; Acts 2:23-24; Rom 6:1-11; Gal 2:19-20; Phil 2:8-11; 3:10; 2 Tm 2:11-12; Heb 2:14-15; 1 Pt 21-25; Rv 1:18)
To follow Christ is to live in the shadow of the cross. If we want to join Him in His glory, if we want to participate in His exaltation, first we must join Him in His disgrace, shame, and humiliation. We must be willing to die. That is what it means to be a follower of Christ. (R.C. Sproul, St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary–Matthew, 500-1)
The all-essential hallmark of being a true disciple of Christ–and therefore of truly confessing Christ–is to be like Christ, our Teacher and Master (10:25). (John MacArthur, The MacArthur NT Commentary: Matthew 8-15, 229)
In planting season, a grain is cast forth into the ground as if in a tomb. Then it “dies,” is set forth from its encasement, and becomes a resurrection plant, and its many grains are resurrection fruit! Jesus was telling the crowd he would fulfill his kingly role by dying and thereby reproducing his life in others. That was how he was going to rule. (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 300)
To call Jesus the true light is, therefore, to refer to him as that sole source of full illumination by which men and women can learn the truth about God and about themselves and enter into that close personal relationship to him to which they are called. (James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of John, Vol. 3, 966)
Salvation is God’s gift to us because Jesus died on the cross. Discipleship is our gift to Him as we take up our cross, die to self, and follow the Lord in everything. (Warren Wiersbe; Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament, 170)
The apostle Paul warns that if we’re not willing to participate with Christ in His humiliation, we will have no part in His exaltation. If you’re ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of you. A Christian must embrace Him not only in His exaltation, not only in His glory, but in His shame. Otherwise, you’ll be numbered with those who are trying to save their own lives. They are the ultimate losers, Jesus said; but those who lose their lives for His sake participate in his Honor. (R.C. Sproul, John: An Expositional Commentary, 216-7)
Man can look upon earthly life in two ways: as something to be prized desperately, or sacrificed for Christ. Those sacrificing their lives for the sake of the future, follow the example of Jesus and are trading human life for divine. (C.S. Lovett, Lovett’s Lights on John, 210)
The Lord’s point was that He would be glorified, but through death and resurrection. There could never be the establishing of His glorious kingdom with all its features promised in the Scriptures without the cross. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur NT Commentary: John 12-21, 27)
He had rejoiced in the coming of the Greeks as an earnest of the many Gentiles soon to come. But their coming presupposed his death–only a crucified Savior could avail for sins–and this meant separation from the Father judicially as he bore the sins of his people. It was not physical death that he dreaded; it was this spiritual death. (James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of John, Vol. 3, 946)
The great hour of his life had arrived. He felt the pressure of the Gentile world and realized that the time had come to open the way to God for the Gentiles and to fuse Jewish and Gentile believers into one body. To accomplish this objective, he had to sacrifice himself (cf. Jn 10:16). (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 9, 128-9)
This is serious, for it is the teaching that if we do not follow Christ, not only do we remain in darkness, but the darkness in which we find ourselves intensifies. (James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of John, Vol. 3, 967)
It seems exceedingly strange that men acquainted with the OT should have been stumbled when their Messiah announced that He must die. Isaiah 53, Daniel’s prophecy that He should be “cut off” (9:26), and that solemn word through Zechariah, “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd” (13:7), should have shown them that His exaltation could be only after His sufferings. (Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, 683)
When we were young, many of us used to play a game called ‘Follow my Leader’. Everything the leader did, however difficult, and, in the case of the game, however ridiculous, we had to copy. The Christian life is a constant following of our leader, a constant obedience in thought and word and action to Jesus Christ. Christians walk in the footsteps of Christ, wherever he may lead. (William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew Volume Two, 177)
Worship Point: Worship the God of the Universe Who through our dying to the old nature and submitting to Christ allows us to begin the process of recapturing the Life we were created to enjoy from the beginning.
Gospel Application: Jesus died so we might live. Without His payment on the cross, the Spirit that makes us alive would not be available to us. (Ezek 11:19; 36:26; Mt 20:28; Lk 24:25-26, 46; Jn 15:5; Rom 5:6-21; 6:1-11; 8:1-17; 1 Cor 15:3, 21-22; Gal 5:16-25; Eph 4:17-32; Col 3:1-11; 2 Tm 1:10; 2:4; Ti 3:5; Heb 2:14-15; 1 Pt 1:18-19, 24; 3:18)
Apart from the cross there is no spiritual harvest. (William Hendriksen, NT Commentary: John 7-21, 196)
“This cross saved and converted the world, drove away error, brought back truth, made earth Heaven, fashioned men into angels. Because of this cross, the devils are no longer terrible, but contemptible; neither is death, death, but a sleep.” (John Chrysostom as quoted by Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary–Matthew, 329)
It is ever the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self: to Jesus: but Satan’s work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, “Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of his children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus.” All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But, the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: he tells us that we are nothing, but that “Christ is all in all.” Remember, therefore, it is not your hold of Christ that saves you—it is Christ; it is not your joy in Christ that saves you—it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument—it is Christ’s blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to your hand with which you art grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to your hope, but to Jesus, the source of your hope; look not to your faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by “Looking unto Jesus.” Keep your eye simply on him; let his death, his sufferings, his merits, his glories, his intercession, be fresh upon your mind; when you wake in the morning look to him; when you lie down at night look to him. Do not let your hopes or fears come between you and Jesus; follow hard after him, and he will never fail you. (Alistair Begg quoting Charles. H. Spurgeon in Pathway to Freedom, 228-9)
The speakers were right in accepting what they had been taught from the law, as they were right in their inference from Jesus’ words; they were wrong in supposing that his words, as they understood them, contradicted the teaching of Scripture, and they were wrong because they failed to grasp that the Son of Man’s being “lifted up” would be the decisive inauguration of Messiah’s endless reign. (F. F. Bruce, The Gospel of John, 269)
Spiritual Challenge: Die daily to the old nature or the old man that is resident in every one of us from birth. In a sense, we need to be born again daily: dying to our old nature and living under the influence of Christ’s Spirit. (Lk 9:23; Rom 8:6, 13; 1 Cor 15:31-32; Gal 5:24; 6:14; 1 Jn 2:15-17; )
I have learned again and again that dying is a daily requirement for spiritual vitality. If your life is stagnant, if your spiritual potential is going unrealized, it may well be that you need to die, to lay down your life and be released. This was the key to the royalty in Jesus’ life, and it is an important principle in ours as well. (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 301)
There is no place for a policy of safety first in the Christian life. The man who seeks first ease and comfort and security and the fulfillment of personal ambition may well get all these things–but he will not be a happy man; for he was sent into this world to serve God and his fellow-men. A man can hoard life, if he wishes to do so. But that way he will lose all that makes life valuable to others and worth living for himself. The way to true happiness is to spend life selflessly, for only thus will we find life, here and hereafter. (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: Gospel of Matthew, 397)
The immediate temptation is to look after one’s physical well-being, but when that becomes the dominant goal of existence, true life is forfeited. It is only by losing life that true life can be gained. Even if a person were to gain the whole world he or she would still come out the loser if the conquest involved giving up “higher life” (Williams). (Robert H. Mounce, New International Biblical Commentary–Matthew, 165)
There is all the difference in the world between existing and living. To exist is simply to have the lungs breathing and the heart beating; to live is to be alive in a world where everything is worth while, where there is peace in the soul, joy in the heart and a thrill in every moment. Jesus here gives us the recipe for life as distinct from existence. (William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew Volume Two, 177-8)
Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin, or it will be killing you. (John Owen; The Mortification of Sin, 28)
The path to true life comes not through self-preservation, but through a daily willingness to sacrifice one’s life for Jesus. (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary, 403)
Few things do so much harm in religion as exaggerated expectations. People look for a degree of worldly comfort in Christ’s service which they have no right to expect. When they do not find what they were expecting, they are tempted to give up religion in disgust. Happy is he who thoroughly understands that though Christianity holds out a crown in the end, it brings also a cross on the way. (J.C. Ryle, The Crossway Classic Commentaries: Matthew, 79)
“The person who, when the issue is between me and what he considers his own interests, chooses the latter, thinking that by so doing he is going to ‘find’ himself, that is, secure a firmer hold on the full life, will be bitterly disappointed. He will lose rather than gain. His happiness and usefulness will shrink and shrivel rather than increase. At last he will perish everlastingly. On the other hand, the one who, confronted with the choice, gives himself away, that is, denies himself out of loyalty to me, being willing if need be to pay the supreme sacrifice, will attain to complete self-realization. He will have life and will have it more abundantly until at last he will share with me the glory of my return and of the new heaven and earth.” (William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary: Matthew, 477)
The more we love this life’s rewards (leisure, power, popularity, financial security), the more we will discover how empty they really are. The best way to “find” life, therefore, is to loosen our greedy grasp on earthly rewards so that we can be free to follow Christ. We must risk pain, discomfort, conflict, and stress. We must acknowledge Christ’s claim over our destiny and our career. In doing so, we will inherit eternal life and begin at once to experience the benefits of following Christ. (Bruce Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Matthew, 216)
The Greek word for “life” is psuche, referring to the soul, the part of the person that includes the personality with all its dreams, hopes, and goals. A person who “saves” his or her life in order to satisfy desires and goals apart from God ultimately “loses” life. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary–Matthew, 332)
Jesus was speaking of ultimate value, eternal value. Clearly, it is better to choose the way of suffering now if by it we may gain glory for eternity. To choose gain in this life, only to lose one’s soul–that is, to suffer eternal condemnation–is a poor bargain indeed. (R.C. Sproul, St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary–Matthew, 501)
Spiritual Challenge Questions:
- What is there about humanity that makes it necessary that the royal life of a Christian begins and continues with a crucifixion?
- What do you think the Apostle Paul means when he says in Gal 5:17: “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want”?
- How does reflecting upon the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) help us to better understand what it means to die to the flesh or sinful nature?
- Why do you think Jesus says at this point in His ministry, “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life”; (Jn 12:25 NIV)? Especially in light of verses 20 and 35.
So What?: You can never expect progress in the maturity of your spirit unless and until you die to the old man and the old nature and be born again of the Spirit of Christ Who seeks to kill that old nature.
The beginning is the ending. To wit: God begins where we end. — Steve Brown
Simply put, Jesus was saying we cannot save ourselves by our own efforts. However, if we surrender all to Him, we gain everything. (R.C. Sproul, St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary–Matthew, 501)
The one who would have God’s power must lead a life of self-denial. There are many things which are not sinful in the ordinary understanding of the word sin, but which hinder spirituality and rob men of power. I do not believe that any man can lead a luxurious life, overindulge his natural appetites, indulge extensively in dainties, and enjoy the fullness of God’s power. The gratification of the flesh and the fullness of the Spirit do not go hand in hand. “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other” (Gal 5:17). Paul wrote: “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection” (1 Cor 9:27; see ASV, Greek; note also Eph 5:18). (R. A. Torrey, The Baptism with the Holy Spirit, 75-6)
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. — Jim Elliott
Tell me what you are committed to, and I’ll tell you what you will be in twenty years. We become whatever we are committed to. (Rick Warren; The Purpose Driven Life, 180)
Four types of people regarding commitment:
1- Cop Outs – they set no goals , make no decisions
2- Hold outs – They are uncertain if they can reach their goals, so they fail to start
3- Drop outs – they start, but stop when the going gets tough
4- All outs – They set goals, pay the price and reach their goals.
The royal life does not begin with a coronation
but with a crucifixion.
(R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: John, 302)
JESUS:
CRUCIFIED ONE