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Central Baptist Church, Okinawa

To Know Christ and Make Him Known

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John 13:21-30 Summary

Jesus has already mentioned several times that someone among the
twelve was going to turn against him (John 6:70; 13:10, 18), but now
he says plainly, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray
me” (John 13:21).  His words take the disciples by surprise, and they
cannot imagine who within their ranks could possibly be the betrayer.
They are confused, and most of them fail to suspect Judas even when he
leaves to complete his betrayal.

The prospect of betrayal hits Jesus hard.  The disciples can see his
anguish.  He offers Judas a piece of bread as a gesture of friendship,
but the very moment that Judas takes the bread into his mouth, Satan
possesses him.  Judas fully and happily submits himself to the will of
Satan and to the plan of betrayal that he had been contemplating for
so long (John 10:2).

When Judas leaves it is night; not only has the sun set, but he has
left the light of Christ to embrace the darkness.  At the beginning of
this book, John said of Christ’s ministry, “The light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness has not understood it” (John 1:5).  Like so
many others in Jesus’ day and ours, Judas failed to understand the
light that was right in front of him. Make sure that you are not like
him.

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John chapter 12 verses 36 to 50

Jesus completes his public ministry in this passage.  From this point on, he will speak with the disciples and before judges, but his preaching ministry has ended.  Remarkably, almost none of the Jews have followed after their own Messiah.  They had seen the miracles he did and they had heard his words.  They had all of the information that they needed to understand that he was the long-awaited Messiah. Yet, the nation prepared to receive Jesus rejected him.

Jesus wants his disciples to understand that the Jew’s rejection of their Messiah is not a failure in God’s plan for the world, even though it might seem to be a failure at first glance.  Time and time again, Israel has failed to listen to the prophets that have been sent to it, and their present disbelieve is simultaneously their own decision and also God’s judgment upon them.

Jesus concludes his public ministry with one, last appeal to believe. He has seen that they are more worried about what men will think of them than they are about the things of God, and so he warns them that the words that they were hearing him speak that day would be evidence used against them in the final judgment.

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John Chapter 12 verses 27 to 36

When the Gentiles arrived, Jesus knew that his hour, the hour of his death, had come to pass. When he thought about what was about to happen, it caused him to be troubled. However, he knew that he is
doing the right thing by laying his life down for others. This was the very reason that he came to earth. Though he would soon undergo suffering, he resolved to accept this suffering without any reservations, since it would bring glory to the name of the Father.

A great voice from heaven rumbled, and the crowd heard these words: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” Oddly, many of the people there dismissed the voice. They said that it was probably just thunder, nothing to worry about. Others denied that the voice came from God, saying that it must have merely been the voice of an angel. If they had admitted that these words were from God, they would have been forced to admit that Jesus was the Messiah.

Jesus told them that “This voice has come for your sake, not mine.” He had already resolved to go the the cross with joy, he did not need any further assurance. However, they needed to hear God the Father’s approval of him. To some, it would strengthen their faith. To some it would be instrumental in their first believing. To others, it would be evidence that would be used to judge them.

Jesus’ death on the cross began a change that would be completed later on. Judgment had begun, since all who reject Jesus and his sacrifice would face a harsh judgment when he returns. Satan’s defeat was assured, though he would not be completely destroyed until later. Jesus’ glorification has begun, though he would not be glorified fully until his kingdom was complete.

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John chapter 12 verse 20 to 26

John 12:20-26 Summary

Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus had been waiting for his “hour” to come (John 2:4; 4:21-23; 5:25-28; 7:30; 8:20).  The “hour” that Jesus had been waiting for was the proper time for him to die in behalf of his people, the time that fit into the predestined plan and foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:23; 4:28).  In the first few verses of this passage, Jesus told his hearers that the long-awaited hour of his demise had come at last.

The indication that his hour had come was that the Gentiles had arrived.  The grace of God that had been largely confined to the political nation of Israel was about to be spread throughout the entire earth.  The Gentiles in Jerusalem at that time were about to see the Son of man glorified in his death and resurrection.  These Gentiles were typical of what we expect to see in this age: people throughout the world, moved by the Holy Spirit, will want to see Jesus.

Jesus then gave an illustration that helped his hearers to understand the way in which he would be glorified.  He said that a seed must fall to the ground and “die” (be buried) in order for a plant to grow and bear much fruit.  His death will be like that.  Though it appeared to be a defeat for him, it would end in many people having life.  It was a great victory, and one of the reasons that we give him glory today.

When Jesus died and was glorified in his hour of death, he provided an example for all people to follow. All of us must die to ourselves and our own desires in order to find real life and joy. We must follow after him in the path of suffering if we are to be honored by the Father.

Contact

904-0316 Okinawa-ken, Nakagami-gun, Yomitan-son, Ōki, 327−3
098-989-8811
Sunday School: 9:00 AM
Worship: 10:00 AM
Tuesday English Class: 10:00 AM

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