Sermon No. 3174: Concentration and Diffusion
Exposition: JOHN 12:1-43.
Verse 1. Then Jesus, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom He raised from the dead. The days Christ was to spend upon the earth were getting to be very few so He paid another visit to that Bethany home where He was always so welcome—and more so than ever since He had raised Lazarus from the dead!
2, 3. There theymade Him a supper, andMartha served, but Lazarus was one ofthem that sat at the table with Him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. All the members of the re-united family were present— Martha busy as usual with the domestic duties which fell to her share. Lazarus in close attendance upon the Master who had worked so great a miracle upon him and Mary, in her own sweet and gracious way, pouring out the wealth of her affection in honor of the Master.
4-6. Then said one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which would betray Him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, andgiven to thepoor? This he said, not that he cared for thepoor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and took what was put therein. The question of Judas was a most unworthy one, but the motive that prompted the question was still worse. Little did he care for the poor, but if he could have had the proceed from the sale of that very costly ointment of spikenard, he would have made that an opportunity of enriching himself.
7, 8. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of My burying has she kept this. For the poor you always have with you: but Me you have not always. Christ was Himself always caring for the poor, so He would not discourage any effort on their behalf, but just then one of His most devoted disciples desired to render to Him special honor—and He would not let her be rebuked—on the contrary, He pointed out the deep symbolical meaning of her loving action.
9. Manypeople ofthe Jews knew that He was there: and they came not for Jesus 'sake, only, but that theymight see Lazarus, also, whom He had raised from the dead. Their curiosity was but natural, for few of them could have seen anyone who had been raised from the dead! It is well when a saved soul, who has been spiritually raised from the dead, becomes a center of attraction together with the Lord who has worked such a miracle of mercy upon him!
10, 11. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus, also, to death; because that by reason of him many ofthe Jews went away and believed on Jesus. They would have committed a double murder if it had been possible, and would have put to death both Jesus and Lazarus, who was a living witness to the wonder-working power of the Christ whom they would not receive as the promised Messiah. When men hate Christ, they also hate those whom He has blessed—and will go to any lengths in seeking to silence their testimony.
12, 13. On the next day manypeople that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet Him and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the name ofthe Lord. It is significant that John is the only one of the four Evangelists who mentions the palm fronds that were carried by the people in this triumphal procession in honor of Christ. And it was to John that the vision was given of the "great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues," who "stood before the Throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands, and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb."
14-16. And Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion: behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey's colt. These things understood not His disciples at the first but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things unto Him. It is strange that Christ's own disciples did not at once remember this plain Prophecy when it was so literally fulfilled, yet, before we condemn them, let us remember how "slow of heart" we also have been "to believe all that the Prophets have spoken."
17. Thepeople therefore that were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his grave, andraised him from the dead, bare recort. They could not help testifying in His favor after they had seen Him work such a notable miracle as the raising of Lazarus from the dead!
18, 19. For this cause the people also met Him, for that they heard that He had done this miracle. The Pharisees therefore saidamong themselves, Perceive you how you prevail nothing? Behold, the worldis gone after Hint! When they saw our Lord riding in state through the streets and the people waving palm branches and shouting in His honor, they said, "The world is gone after Him." That was only very partially true, and for a very short time—but the day will come when the whole world shallgo after Him! Christ's Divine attractions shall be felt throughout the earth and all the Pharisees then in the world will not be able to prevent the people from going after Him! And—
"Come what may
To stand in the way
That day the world shall see." 20, 21. And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast the same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, Sir, we would like to see Jesu. They were proselytes who had learned to worship Jehovah. Something more than mere curiosity must have moved them to want to see Jesus! Having heard of His raising the dead, they had a desire and a very proper desire, to know more of Him, so they asked to be introduced to Him by one who, though not a Greek, had a Greek name, and who might have, therefore, served as a kind of bridge for these Greeks to reach the Savior.
22, 23. Philip came and told Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorifie. Christ's passion and death were getting very near when these
Gentiles came to Him and He saw, in that company of Greeks, the vanguard of that great army that shall yet come to Him out of every nation under Heaven. In the prospect of that great ingathering, He looked beyond the impending shame and suffering and spoke even of the hour of His death as the time when He should be glorified!
24. Verily, verily, I say unto you. Except a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone: but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit. [See Sermon #3024, Volume 53—CHRIST'S DEATH AND OURS] This was Christ's way to Glory, and it must be our way to Glory, too. The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die, or else it cannot bring forth fruit. Just so must it be with you and with me—and in proportion as we learn to die to self, we shall live to the glory of God!
20. He that loves his life shall lose i. If you keep yourself to yourself, you will lose yourself.
20. And he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, if we are really to glorify Christ on the earth, we must be willing to lose our reputation, our good name, our comfort and, indeed, everything that we have for Christ's sake! This is the only way to truly live. If for your own sake you begin to keep back anything from Christ, that is the way to die. You would then be like the grain of wheat that is laid by and preserved and which, therefore, can never grow or multiply. Surrender yourself! Be willing to be nothing! Be willing to die if only the Truth of God may live! Care nothing about honor and glory for yourself—care only about the honor and glory of your Master! Learn the meaning of the Master's paradox—as you bury yourself, you will multiply yourself. As you are put out of sight, like a grain of wheat that is sown in the ground, you have your only opportunity of growth and increase! Heavily-laden ears of corn shall spring up from the grain which has been buried in the earth.
26-28. If any man serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be. If any man serves Me, him will My father honor. Now is My soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Your name. [See Sermon #1391, Volume 24—A GOLDEN PRAYER.] In the 27 verse, our Savior asked Himself the question, "What shall I say?" here He gives His own answer, "Father, glorify Your name." When you know not what to pray for, you can always safely pray, "Father, glorify Your name." As you stand where the crossroads meet and you ask, "Which way shall I choose?" pray, "Father, glorify Your name." This incident seems like a rehearsal of Christ's passion. Here we see that natural fear of death which came across the Savior's mind because He was so really and truly Man. If His pains had not been real pains, but had been pleasant and congenial to Him, there would have been no self-sacrifice in His suffering. But the fact that they cast upon His spirit the dark shadow of death only proves to us what sharp pains they were—but instead of asking for a way of escape from them, He surrendered Himself to them, gave Himself up as a willing Victim with this prayer upon His lips, "Father, glorify Your name." And now see what happened.
28, 29. Then came there a voice from Heaven, saying, Ihave both glorifiedit, and will glorify it again. Thepeople, therefore, that stood by and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spoke to Him. This was one of the three occasions on which testimony was openly borne to Christ by His Father—first at His Baptism, then at His Transfiguration, and now here at the rehearsal of His great Sacrifice. [In Sermon #909, Volume 16—voices from the excellent glory.] Verily, He is the Son of
God, and He is always well-pleasing to God! And God has glorified His name and will continue to glorify it through Jesus Christ His Son! We learn from this narrative that the voice of God is not understood by everybody. Some of those that stood by said that it thundered—and others said that an angel spoke to Him. It is necessary that you should be a child of God if you are to know your Father's voice! Though God is speaking at this moment in the clearest tones, none will recognize His voice, or understand His words, but those who are taught by His Holy Spirit.
30, 31. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because ofMe, but foryour sakes. Now is thejudgment ofthis world [See Sermon #2338, Volume 39—THE CRISIS OF THIS WORLD.] Now shall the ruler ofthis world be cast out See how the eyes of faith reads things differently from the eyes of sense! You and I would have said, "Now is Christ coming to His lowest point. Now is His name to be cast out from among men and His cause to be crushed as the result of His death." But Christ reads the signs of the times very differently. "Now," He said, "in the hour of My shame, suffering and death, is the judgment of this world. Now shall the ruler of this world be cast out." It was only by Christ being apparently conquered that Satan could be really vanquished! And there is often no way of victory for a saint except through defeat. When self is slain, then do we truly live!
32, 33. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples unto Me. This He said signifying what death He should di. [See Sermons #139, Volume 3—CHRIST LIFTED UP; #775, Volume 13—THE GREAT ATTRACTION and #1717, Volume 29—THE MARVELOUS MAGNET.] The Pharisees said, "The world is gone after Him," but
Jesus says, "No, not while I am riding in state through the streets of Jerusalem. But when I am lifted up and hung upon the Cross, then shall it, indeed, be true, 'I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples unto Me.'" The crucified Christ of Calvary is the mighty magnet that is to attract multitudes of trembling, doubting, ruined sinners who by Grace shall be drawn unto Him and find eternal life in Him!
34, 35. The people answered Him, We have heard out of the Law that Christ abides forever: and how say You, The Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man? Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walks in darkness knows not where he goes. What a sad condition to be in—to not know where you are going! Are there not some of you whom I am now addressing who do not know where you are going? Yet if you would but take the trouble to look, you might easily know that as long as you continue in the paths of sin, you are going down to the chambers of death! Oh, that God's Holy Spirit would give you sufficient light to enable you to see where you are going! You surely do not want to take "a leap in the dark." Oh, that you may have the Grace to turn from the downward way and to seek the heavenward road!
36-41. While you have light, believe in the light, thatyou may be the children oflight. These things spoke Jesus and departed, and did hide Himself from them. But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him: that the sayings of Isaiah the Prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm ofthe Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Isaiah said again, He has blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Isaiah, when he saw His Glory and spoke of Him.[See
Sermons #2413, Volume 41—DESPISED LIGHT WITHDRAWN and #1844, Volume 31—ISRAEL AND BRITAIN—A NOTE OF WARNING.] You know that wonderful Sixth Chapter of Isaiah's prophecy, and you know how wonderfully he has spoken there of the Glory of Christ. But what a terrible thing it is that even Christ should be driven to blind men's eyes, to take the light away from them because they proved themselves unworthy of it! May that never be the case with any of us, but while we may see, let us see—and may God give us more light!
42, 43. Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on Him; but because ofthe Pharisees, they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out ofthe synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. What a shameful thing that was! Yet you will still find that there are many persons who, even though they believe the Truth, dare not proclaim it, but must hide in obscurity until the times grow easier. However, Christ's death fetched out many who had been His disciples in secret. Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus could not stay in the background any longer and, doubtless, the thoughts of many other hearts were then revealed.