Sunday School Lesson
November 1
Lesson 9 (KJV)
Serving Love
Devotional Reading: John 15:18–16:4a
Background Scripture: John 13:1–35
John 13:1–15, 34–35
- Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
- And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;
- Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
- He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
- After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
- Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
- Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
- Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
- Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
- Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
- For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
- So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
- Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
- If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
- For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
- A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
- By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Key Verse
I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. —John 13:15
Lesson Aims
After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:
- List the ways that Jesus showed His love for the disciples at the last supper.
- Explain the connection between loving others and serving others.
- Volunteer with a ministry that serves humbly in the church or community.
HOW TO SAY IT
Iscariot Iss-care-ee-ut.
Judas Joo-dus.
Introduction
- Dirty Jobs
A popular cable television show with a different twist is Dirty Jobs (and its later version, Somebody’s Gotta Do It). In each episode of this show, the host finds himself embedded in a job circumstance that includes disgusting or dangerous elements. Situations have included sewer inspector, pig farmer, hot-tar roofer, bat guano collector, roadkill cleaner, and sausage maker.
There are many dirty jobs in our world. The circumstances of these jobs make a difference in our willingness to tackle them. But when we consider a job to be below us, are we really honoring Jesus?
- Lesson Context
The apostle John was one of Jesus’ closest associates. Jesus trusted him enough to task him with the care of Jesus’ own mother, Mary, at the cross (John 19:26–27). Church tradition says that John later moved to the great city of Ephesus, taking Mary with him. There he ministered for many years, dying sometime between AD 95 and 100. His exile to Patmos is also well known (Revelation 1:9).
There are five books in the Bible written by John: the Gospel, 1-3 John, and Revelation. The other three Gospels are called the Synoptic Gospels because they share much of the same perspective (as shown in the amount of shared material). John’s stands alone, with much unique content. It was written after the other three, likely between AD 90 and 94, though dates both earlier and later have been suggested.
All four Gospels include a retelling of the last supper, but the earliest surviving account is from Paul. He shared a description of the supper, material he learned from the Lord (1 Corinthians 11:23a), about 25 years after the actual event. While the accounts from Matthew 26:17–30; Mark 14:12–26; Luke 22:7–39; and 1 Corinthians 11:23b–26 are similar, the way John records the story is quite different. The focus of the other accounts (the bread and cup) are in the background of John’s last supper. Rather than the institution of the elements of the Lord’s Supper, John includes two things the other accounts leave out. The first is the content of our lesson today. The second is nearly five chapters of Jesus’ oral teaching and a lengthy prayer (John 13–17), mostly unique material found nowhere else in the New Testament.
- Clean Feet
(John 13:1–11)
- Enduring (v. 1)
1a. Now before the feast of the passover.
The Jewish people of Jesus’ day saw the Passover as one of the most important annual feasts. It commemorated the exodus events, when the Lord “passed over” (Exodus 12:27) the homes of the people of Israel that were obediently marked with blood on the doorposts and lintels of their homes (12:7, 23). The unmarked Egyptian homes suffered the final of 10 plagues, death of the firstborn (12:29–30). This led Pharaoh to relent and allow the people of Israel to leave Egypt and its oppression (12:31–32).
Passover, then, had both spiritual and physical themes for Jewish people like Jesus and His disciples, which likely resonated harshly because of the oppression of the Romans in Jerusalem and all of Judea. In Jesus’ day, celebration of the Passover was already more than 1,000 years old. The feast was (and remains) a pilgrimage festival. In Jesus’ time, this meant that Jewish believers from all over Judea and further abroad attempted to be in Jerusalem itself for the weeklong celebration. This was partly so the Passover lamb could be slaughtered in the temple precincts by a priest. Jesus and His disciples were Galileans, from an area about 100 miles north of Jerusalem. Passover was their reason for being in the city.
1b. When Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
Several times in the Gospel of John, it is said that Jesus’ time was not complete (see John 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20), meaning He was not finished with His earthly work. This verse represents a turning point. Jesus’ hour was come because all that remained were the events leading up to and including His crucifixion (John 18–19), resurrection (20:1–10), and appearances thereafter (20:11–21:23). After completing His mission, Jesus would return to His Father in Heaven. His death was imminent, but He did not leave work early. Rather than just saying goodbyes, Jesus used this occasion to show His love for His disciples.
- And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him.
Luke and John both stated that the prompting of the devil motivated Judas (see Luke 22:3, which says Satan “entered” Judas). Matthew indicates that Judas betrayed Jesus because of Judas’s love of money (Matthew 26:15; see John 12:6). These two causes, Satan and money-loving, are not incompatible. Satan may tempt us at our weakest point, just as his first temptation for Jesus was to use Jesus’ power to create bread for himself when He was extremely hungry (Luke 4:2–3). Further, the love of money pits a person against the Lord (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13).
Betrayal is working against someone who trusts you. Jesus’ long-running controversy with the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem had escalated to the point where they sought to kill Him (John 11:53). This required some plotting, however, for these leaders feared Jesus’ popularity with the common people. They needed an isolated place and time to seize Him, an opportunity best identified by one of Jesus’ closest followers. Judas’s betrayal of Jesus would provide this opportunity for Jesus’ enemies.
John gives us a glimpse into the spiritual battle being waged that evening. Satan seemed to think Jesus’ death would be a victory (consider the victory of the disciples’ falling away; Matthew 26:31–35). Satan did not understand how Jesus’ sacrificial death would serve the Father’s purposes (John 1:29, 36). Jesus’ subsequent resurrection from the dead thwarted all of Satan’s plans. As Paul proclaimed, “O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Corinthians 15:55). Judas’s act of betrayal surely pleased Satan, but God used that evil to further His own plan.
- Washing (vv. 3–11)
- Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God.
John gives three insights into the state of mind of Jesus at this critical time. First, Jesus was fully aware of His power and authority. He was in control of all things, including what would happen to Him next. Nothing compelled Him to act as a servant but His own decision and desire.
Second, Jesus was aware of His origin in God. John often presents Jesus this way, as one on a mission from God (example: John 5:30). Third, Jesus was aware that He would return to the Father when all things were accomplished. He was ready and prepared for what lay ahead.
4–5. He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
Without a word, Jesus rose from the table, surely causing every disciple present to wonder what He was doing. The participants at the meal would have been on couches in a semi-reclining position. Jesus removed His outer clothing (both for more mobility and to keep His robe clean), for what He was about to do was grimy work.
The necessities for washing feet were present. The towel was a substantial piece of cloth, long enough for Jesus to wrap it around His waist and have a yard or so hanging out to use for washing the disciples’ feet. The bason was a large bowl, big enough to submerge feet in water.
Foot washing was a filthy job. Jerusalem was a hot and dusty city. People either wore sandal-type shoes that allowed dirt in easily or walked barefoot without any protection. Because they walked almost everywhere, people frequently stepped in mud and other undesirable flotsam on the streets and pathways. A good host would provide guests with a servant to wash their feet. This foot-washer was the lowest of the household servants who likely took no pleasure in such a demeaning task. It was this dirty job that our Lord Jesus chose to illustrate what it meant to be a servant in His service.
What Do You Think?
In what ways have you discovered that shared meals offer witnessing or service opportunities today not available at other times?
Digging Deeper
Going the other way, what witnessing or service opportunities are best not initiated at mealtimes? Why?
- Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
The washing proceeded one at a time, perhaps in silent embarrassment from the disciples. Jesus was their esteemed Lord, their master and teacher (see John 13:13, below), and such an honored person should never be expected to wash feet!
Simon Peter may have been last in line (and certainly wasn’t first). If it took a couple of minutes to do each pair of feet, we can imagine that over 20 minutes passed, probably with little conversation and all eyes fixed on Jesus. Peter broke the silence to protest. It was not that Peter’s feet didn’t need washing, but that it was demeaning for Jesus to do so, and Peter did not intend to allow it.
- Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
Jesus’ response to Peter’s refusal was somewhat cryptic, implying that there was more to the situation than Peter understood. He would understand in the future, but Jesus wasn’t concerned about clearing up the matter all at once. The hereafter is more than just the finishing of foot washing. It points to the horrible night of agony, betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion, but also to the coming triumph of the empty tomb and the resurrection.
8a. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet.
Peter was emboldened by this answer and underlined his refusal, maybe raising his voice as he did so.
8b. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
This response seems as cryptic as Jesus’ first. His warning that Peter’s refusal would mean the disciple had no part with Him does not mean that Jesus would disown him. Instead, Peter would cut himself off from Jesus and His blessings. Jesus connected the meaning of this foot washing to His mission of cleansing souls.
Generations before, David asked the Lord to create in him a clean heart (Psalm 51:10). He had committed grievous sins: adultery and murder. He had covered them up, and the result was that he knew his heart was dirty with hidden, spiritual filth. David begged the Lord not to take the Holy Spirit from him (51:11), for he understood that cleansing came from God’s presence. David knew he must offer God a “broken spirit” and a “contrite heart” (51:17) to be forgiven, to be clean. We can pray David’s words, asking Jesus to wash us so that we will not be separated from Him.
What Do You Think?
In what ways have you seen people argue with Jesus today?
Digging Deeper
How do you know when to counter those arguments as you think Jesus would versus simply remaining silent?
- Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.
In an instant, Peter shifted from outright refusal to a desire for both hands and head—his entire being—to be made clean. Peter glimpsed that Jesus the servant is also Jesus the Lamb, who cleanses us of sin (Revelation 7:14). Jesus’ great intersection of humility, service to others, and the cleaning away of dirt points us directly to the coming cross.
- Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
Jesus corrected Peter’s zeal by saying that one who is fully washed does not need to take a second bath, only to wash his feet. This seems to be saying that one who comes to faith and is covered by the cleansing blood of Jesus is spiritually clean, counted innocent in the eyes of God. This is the essence of the atonement, the satisfaction of the penalty for our sins through the sacrifice of Jesus. But as the Jewish visitors to the temple knew, even after they took a purification bath before entering, their feet became dirty from walking. Symbolically, we are saved from our sins (the bath) but still commit sins (dirty feet). We all need a repeated washing of our spiritual feet. This process is often referred to as sanctification, the ongoing process of learning through the Holy Spirit and growing in our relationship with Christ.
What Do You Think?
Which of these “wash” texts influences you most to live as one who models Christ: Acts 22:16; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11; 1 Timothy 5:9–10; Titus 3:3–7; Hebrews 10:20–24? Why?
Digging Deeper
What seems to tempt Christians to forget their state of having been washed? Why?
- For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
Jesus knew, however, that not everyone in the room would have the spiritual bath. One in their midst was not clean. Judas might have sat quietly while the Master washed the filth from his feet, but his heart was set on doing Satan’s will, giving himself no hope of spiritual cleansing (see John 6:70–71; 18:2–3). He was a betrayer. Peter, when he understood, had allowed Jesus to wash his feet.
- Clean Lives
(John 13:12–15, 34–35)
- Serving (vv. 12–15)
- So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
Jesus, ever the teacher, calmly put His dinner clothes back on and resumed His spot at the table. The question is rhetorical, shown by the fact that Jesus went straight into explanation without waiting for answers.
- Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
Jesus asserted His rightful position among them. Master indicates that Jesus was the one to whom they listened and from whom they learned (see John 13:6, above, regarding Lord). His service to them did not change His authority over them.
- If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper with others in our churches, we partially reenact the final meal Jesus shared with His disciples. Our practices center around eating a piece of bread and tasting the fruit of the vine. Some churches go further by including foot-washing as part of their annual events, often on Maundy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter Sunday).
Some might ask why all churches don’t reenact the foot washing every time we take the Lord’s Supper. The answer is addressed by the next verse.
What Do You Think?
Comparing the lesson text with Luke 7:44 and 1 Timothy 5:9–10, what would be some modern equivalents to the foot-washing practice of the first century AD?
Digging Deeper
What would have to happen for you to begin demonstrating love to others in one such way?
- For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
While there would be nothing wrong with foot washing in and of itself, history tells us it was not practiced in the first-century church as witnessed by the book of Acts and other early Christian sources. The reason is that Jesus lifted up His action as an example of humble service. He was not introducing a new custom among the people of Israel. Rather, the command is for all disciples of Jesus to be servants of one another (Mark 10:42–45). This is the very essence of following Jesus. We honor His words in seeing the bread as a symbol of His body and the fruit of the vine as a symbol of His blood (Mark 14:22–24). Therein, our celebration of the Lord’s Supper is a remembrance of Christ’s sacrificial and atoning death for our sins on the cross. But an example of service is just that.
Jesus’ conclusion is remarkable when we consider the setting of the last supper. Jesus knew that torture and death loomed shortly. He knew His disciples were going to be scattered, confused, and discouraged. But the example He gave sums up His entire ministry. They needed to do more than remember His words. They were called to servanthood as He had modeled it for them. To the very end of the book and even now, Jesus calls for us to follow (see John 21:22).
Literal Foot Washing
For several years I was part of a group that practiced literal foot washing. In the early days of the Protestant Reformation, members of this tradition first experienced foot washing in homes and later included it in observances of the Lord’s Supper. The churches I was part of practiced foot washing on a day leading up to Easter.
Since I hadn’t grown up with foot washing, I initially recoiled at the practice. I could definitely relate to Peter’s reluctance to allow Jesus to wash his feet. But as I experienced foot washing firsthand (“firstfoot”), I was impressed and inspired by its significance. It was more than a mere symbol; I appreciated the bond of unity and mutual humility that foot washing fostered.
It’s been many years now since I’ve participated in a foot washing ritual. So I ask myself: What are other tangible ways that I am submitting to Jesus’ example of being a servant? How about you?
—A. S.
What Do You Think?
What visual aspects of today’s text are practical to work into your church’s communion service?
Digging Deeper
What would be the benefit in doing so?
- Loving (vv. 34–35)
- A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
A few verses later, Jesus framed the foot-washing lesson in a different way: He gave the command for His disciples to love, a commandment with important qualifications. First, this love is to be mutual. His disciples should be a community where every member is loved by every other member without exception. Second, Jesus pointed to His own example of service as the best way to understand this love. Mutual love might involve some short-term tasks such as cleaning feet, but for Jesus it extended to giving up His life for those He loved (see John 15:12–13).
- By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
This loving community will be noticed by others. The old chorus stated, “They will know we are Christians by our love.” Such a loving community is unlike anything naturally occurring in the world. For all men to see the difference in Jesus’ disciples, our love must not look like worldly love (example: Luke 6:27–36; see lesson 6). The church is intentional and empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit to love as Jesus loves. A local church might be known for many things: its building, its summer VBS, its worship music, its preaching, its mission trips, etc. It should always be known for its love.
Service to the Bride
Little did I know when Ardith and I got married 40 years ago that my vow “to have and to hold” her “in sickness” would be seriously tested. Just a few years later, she developed chronic headaches that became much more than an interruption in routine—and that have gotten progressively worse. This reality has left me with what, from the outside, might look like an unfair share of responsibility for shopping and cleaning.
Our service is still very much mutual. I am exempted from cooking and laundry duty. And Ardith’s companionship and encouragement constitute an invaluable pillar of support and strength in my life. We delight in serving each other—and in thanking and affirming each other for doing so.
My wife and I both have the calling and privilege to serve—and be served by—one another. What acts of service delight you to offer to Christ’s bride, the church?
—A. S.
Conclusion
- A Matter of Heart
Are you “clean every whit” but still have dirty feet from pride and lack of love? Is your heart, your inner being, truly clean? Washing your feet or your hands will not clean your heart. No doctor prescribes handwashing for heart disease. Jesus does not seek people with hard, dirty spirits who have immaculate personal hygiene. He wants those with “clean hands, and a pure heart” (Psalm 24:4; contrast Matthew 23:25–26).
Jesus bids us to take action. As we serve others, we follow Jesus. When we humble ourselves, our hearts are changed. Loving service will help our hearts stay clean. Can you think of someone you can serve this week? Remember, they will not know you by your love if you do not show your love in service.
- Prayer
Father, You sent Your Son to die for us because of Your great love. Cleanse our hearts that we may model that love! In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
- Thought to Remember
Show your love!
KID’S CORNER
How To Avoid Deception and Darkness
Sunday, November 1, 2020
John 12:27-36
John 12:27-36
(John 12:27) “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh who dwelt among us (studied in John 1:14). In Hebrews 4:15, we read, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.” Since Jesus is fully God and fully human, as a man He suffered and contemplated future suffering and death in the flesh as we do. Jesus did not face suffering and death as one unconcerned or as one who saw it as “no problem.” No, as fully God and fully man, when Jesus saw Mary weeping over the death of Lazarus, as one who knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, Jesus was “greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved;” then, “Jesus wept” (John 11:33, 35). Jesus came to conquer the devil and death, and He knew He could only do so if He lived without sin through every type of test we face and if He died as a sacrifice for our sins. As the Son of God on earth, Jesus did not feel indifferent to sin, suffering, death, and the needs of others— neither did His Father in heaven.
Nobody understands sin, suffering, death, and what it means to perish better than our Father and Jesus, and that is one of the reasons the Father sent the Son into the world. In John 3:16, we studied, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
Jesus was understandably troubled about dying in the flesh and what that would mean to Him as a man in His spiritual battle against the devil and death. Jesus was also troubled when He contemplated the fact that a professed friend would betray Him, and what that meant for them both. In John 13:21, we read, “After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, ‘Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.’” He knew that Satan would enter Judas and the consequences for someone if they become demon possessed. In Matthew 26:24, Jesus said, “The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.” Jesus grieved knowing the suffering and death that Judas would face for betraying Him.
Jesus was troubled about many things as He faced death, but He does not want those who believe in Him to be troubled about death as they face death, because He has conquered the devil and death for us. To encourage His disciples (and us) before His death, Jesus said in John 14:1, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” Furthermore, Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to help us when we do face troubles. In John 14:26-27, Jesus promised, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” As Jesus faced death, He tried to comfort others. We will have much to learn from these verses in the weeks ahead.
As Jesus faced death, He felt troubled, but Jesus did not let His troubles dominate Him or turn Him from doing what He came to do in obedience to His Father. To make the point, Jesus asked a rhetorical question: He was not praying for the Father to save Him from this hour or from His time to die. Jesus came to die, and He was not going to let His troubles deter Him, as He declared, “it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.”
To encourage, help, and motivate us to keep obeying God as followers of Jesus Christ when we face testing and troubles, we need to remember these words in Hebrews 12:1-3, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.”
(John 12:28) “Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
Because the Father and the Son love one another, and because they love the world and us, Jesus prayed that the Father would glorify His name, not that the Father would save Him from death. Jesus kept His focus on His Father and on doing the Father’s will. As we have seen many times, the Father and the Son glorified one another. The Father glorified His name when He sent Jesus into the world, and the Father promised Jesus that He would glorify His name again when Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, when Jesus was buried in a tomb, when Jesus rose from the dead, when Jesus ascended into heaven, and when Jesus sent (and still sends) the Holy Spirit to live within believers so they can love and glorify God by their words and works too. From eternity past, present, and future, from the beginning of creation and throughout history, the Father and the Son have loved each other and have glorified the names of one another.
(John 12:29) So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him.”
No one in the crowd recognized the voice as the voice of God. On the one hand, some just thought they had heard thunder with no religious significance. On the other hand, some heard a distinct voice from heaven instead of thunder, but they attributed the voice to an angel. Believers and unbelievers can hear the same thing, but believers can perceive the things of God; whereas unbelievers will reduce the things of God to nothing.
(John 12:30) Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes.
The crowd heard Jesus pray. Jesus explained that what they had heard in reply was not thunder, but a voice. They heard Jesus pray to the Father, and they heard the Father answer Jesus’ prayer with a voice they could hear and understand if they had spiritual perception. Jesus did not need to hear the answer to His prayer. He and the Father were perfectly united in purpose and Jesus was perfectly obedient to His Father. He knew that the Father glorified His name and would continue to do so through Jesus as Jesus completed the tasks before Him. The crowd learned that what they were seeing and hearing from Jesus related to the Father honoring His name through Jesus and His continuing to honor His name through Jesus in everything Jesus would do in the future—no matter what appeared to be the case when He was lifted up and died upon a cross, “disregarding its shame.”
(John 12:31) “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
When those of “this world” crucified Jesus, they openly revealed the fact that they were murderers like their father. Earlier, in John 8:44, Jesus had told the religious leaders, “You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Jesus was of course speaking of their spiritual father. By Jesus’ death and resurrection, God showed and openly judged that the ways of “this world” are evil and people are not to live in the ways of “this world”—especially those who claim to be followers of Jesus. Jesus also taught that “this world” has an evil spiritual ruler, but Jesus would win the ultimate victory over him when He died and rose again. In John 12:48-49, Jesus also taught that there will be a future judgment, “The one who rejects me and does not receive my word has a judge; on the last day the word that I have spoken will serve as judge, for I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak.” Furthermore, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, the “ruler of this world,” the devil, “will be driven out.” The devil is driven out when believers accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, for Jesus frees those who believe in Him from the power of Satan, from the fear of death that Satan wields, and from slavery to sin that leads to death. The devil will be finally driven out when Jesus Christ returns as He promised. As Jesus taught in Matthew 25:41, when the ruler of this world is finally driven out, He will be sent to the “eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Until then, we fight a vanquished enemy, an enemy defeated by our Almighty God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
(John 12:32) “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”
Jesus would be glorified when He was lifted up from the earth, when He was crucified (which He may have explained to His disciples and the crowd) for in John 12:34, the crowd indicated they understood that Jesus was speaking of His death. Learning the fact that the only begotten Son of God would die as a sacrifice for our sins (as sinful as we are) so God could mercifully forgive us and adopt us into His family will influence or draw people to come to Jesus and believe in Him. When we preach and teach the good news “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures” the Holy Spirit uses the truth to draw people to believe in Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The word “draw” is also used in John 6:44, when Jesus declared and promised, “No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day.” Jesus’ use of “all people” meant Jews and Gentles not every single person. John described “all people” in Revelation 7:9-10, “After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” Jesus did not teach that every single human being would be saved, because He taught in Matthew 25:46, that some “will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Jesus never contradicted himself. The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 2:8-11 that Jesus “humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Every knee will bow before Jesus Christ someday, but only the children of God will bow down before the Father and the Son with love and joy in their hearts to glorify them and give them thanks.
(John 12:33) But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.
Here John clearly stated that Jesus meant He was going to die by crucifixion and the crowd understood what His meant. Furthermore, in and through His death, His Father would be glorified and so would Jesus.
(John 12:34) The crowd then answered Him, “We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”
The crowd rightly understood that the Messiah and the Son of Man are two titles for the same person. However, since this is so, they wanted to know how the Messiah (the Son of Man) could be crucified and die, since they had understood from their teachers of the Old Testament that the Messiah (the Son of Man) would come and reign on the earth as King over all the nations of the earth forever. Since Jesus claimed to be the Son of Man, they wanted Jesus to explain himself as the Son of Man (Messiah), for He was not the Son of Man of their expectations or as they had been taught.
(John 12:35) So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.
The crowd thought of the Son of Man (the Messiah) only in political terms that made the Jews (with the help of a political Messiah) become the rulers of the world with all the accompanying benefits. Jesus wanted them to see the Son of Man (the Messiah) in both spiritual and political terms by defining the Son of Man in spiritual terms. First, Jesus defined the Son of Man as the Light (often understood as the Truth). The Truth, the Truth who is Jesus (for Jesus said He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life) would only be with them visibly a little while longer because He would soon die on the cross (see John 14:6). If people believe in and follow the Truth who is Jesus; then, they will make the political difference that God intends to make through the power of Jesus, and they will do so through the Kingdom of God. A nation where most of the people are free from the power of Satan and the fear of death through faith in Jesus Christ will be definitely better in every way than a nation where most of the people are living in darkness as slaves of Satan. Second, Jesus told the crowd that people needed to walk (practice) the truth while they had the Truth visibly demonstrated before them and with them. They needed to commit themselves to the Truth that is Jesus and make a habit of speaking and doing the truth when Jesus was with them, for He would not be with them visibly as the Word made flesh much longer. Jesus spoke of spiritual light and spiritual darkness. If we walk in the spiritual Light that is Jesus, we will be able to see our way through the spiritual darkness of this world where the ruler of this world still has the power to deceive though he has been defeated by Jesus. The world, the flesh, and the devil still have power, but limited power, because those who follow the Light that is Jesus have been freed from slavery to sin and fear of death. As we will soon learn in our study of John’s gospel, Judas chose to walk in the darkness even though He ate at the table with the Light and listened to the Truth; therefore, he did not know where he was going until after he betrayed Jesus and went back to the priests and confessed as we read in Matthew 27:4-5: “‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’ But they said, ‘What is that to us? See to it yourself.’ Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself.”
(John 12:36) “While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.
Jesus is the Light who told people the truth about God, reality, and the dangers of walking in the darkness of this world. When He told people the truth, He challenged them to believe the truth and believe in Him (the Light). When we hear the truth of and about Jesus, we need to believe the truth of Jesus while we have the opportunity, for we will not always have the opportunity. When we have the opportunity to share the Light and Truth that is Jesus with others, we need to do so with the understanding that we may not have another opportunity and they might not either. Jesus promised that if we believe in Him, the Light, then we may become children of light, children of the truth, children of our heavenly Father, brothers and sisters of Jesus and one another. Until we believe the Truth and believe in the Light, we will remain children of darkness. Until they turn to the Light and believe in Jesus, children of darkness walk in darkness, and they do not know where they are going as sin and Satan tighten their grip on them. After answering their question, Jesus departed and hid from them to teach His disciples before making one last appeal to the people to listen to the Truth and believe in Him for salvation from darkness and death.
How To Avoid Deception and Darkness
Sunday, November 1, 2020
John 12:27-36
Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth (John 12:35—KJV).
So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes” (John 12:35—NASB).
Jesus said to the crowd, “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going” (John 12:35—NRSV). Between Palm Sunday and the day Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins, Jesus told the crowd that “the light is with you for a little longer.” Jesus used the word “light” to refer to himself. In John 14:6, Jesus used the divine name “I Am” and the word “truth” to refer to himself. Sometimes the word “light” is a substitute for “truth.” The word “walk” often means “practice.” Jesus warned the crowd that they needed to practice living and walking in the light, meaning the truth of His teachings and the truth of who He claimed to be: the Son of Man, the Messiah, the Son of God that His heavenly Father sent to save the world. In only a few days, the light was taken from the crowd. Those who had continued walking in darkness did not know where they were headed when they called out to Pilate, the Roman governor, “Crucify Him!” Of course, Jesus spoke spiritually. Today, when people hear the truth or “see the light” some choose to do what Jesus asserted in John 12:36, “Believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.” When darkness descends, the children of light know the truth of the Scriptures, so they can recognize deception. Because they believe in Jesus, the darkness will not overtake them. They will follow Jesus and His teachings as the Holy Spirit shines the light of understanding and shows the way through the darkness.
Thinking Further
How To Avoid Deception and Darkness
Sunday, November 1, 2020
John 12:27-36
Name ___________________________________
- Who came to the Passover Festival and asked to see Jesus?
Who did they ask? Who went to ask Jesus?
- What did Jesus say when He learned of their request? What
do you think He meant?
- What did Jesus say happens to a grain of wheat when it dies?
What do you think He meant?
- What must a servant of Jesus do? What did Jesus say was
the result?
- What did Jesus promise those who served Him? What does
this mean to you?
Discussion and Thinking Further
- Since Jesus is the Son of God, why do you think His soul was
troubled about His coming crucifixion and death?
Jesus is the Word made flesh. Jesus is fully God and fully human. As fully man, Jesus had a human soul and body, and He was tested in all ways as we are, but He chose to never sin. His soul was troubled; therefore, He fully understands by personal experience human emotions, temptations, and weaknesses even when it comes to future suffering and death (even the death of friends as well as himself).
- Did Jesus pray to the Father that He would not die? If not, why
not? How did Jesus pray to His Father?
No. He knew that He came to die in perfect agreement with His Father. He prayed aloud for the glory of His Father, that His Father would glorify His name. He prayed aloud for the sake of the crowd.
- What or who is the ruler of this world? What is his destiny?
The ruler of “this world,” not the ruler of “the world,” is the devil. The devil can be driven out of those he possesses and will ultimately be driven out of the world to be sent to the place prepared for the devil and his angels.
- What did Jesus mean when He said that He would be lifted up from the earth? What else might He have meant that He did not tell the crowd?
He meant that He would be crucified. He did not explain to the crowd or His disciples at that time that He would also ascend into heaven and believers in Him would someday be drawn into heaven too to be with Him.
- As the Son of Man, how did Jesus describe himself to the crowd?
He is the Light for people to believe and believe in, and if they do, they will become children of Light (children of Truth).
Word Search
How To Avoid Deception and Darkness
Sunday, November 1, 2020
John 12:27-36
Name ________________________________
T G L Q P C O Z T M Z W O Z D
O Q M T B S F I N E V A E H X
Y R H O U R W G Q O T F I G A
L V X W L I S J L D W O R C V
E M I T X R A M K O F Y F P O
G A R R L O V J E A R L C S I
N P E O G I E K T S Q I U X C
A X A U J Z G H R N S T F O E
O H S B Y U E H L E V I M Y S
D L O L X R D X T Y L Q A T Z
Y K N E Y F Q G N A X U K H G
Q J Q D T O R A M G Z N R C K
K G X W H I K D K E J D H S Y
T W C A G Y M U F G N S P X C
A V P S Q B E C P M X T B L A
Soul
Troubled
Father
Save
Hour
Reason
Glorify
Voice
Heaven
Crowd
Angel
Judgment
Ruler
Messiah
Light
True and False Test
How To Avoid Deception and Darkness
Sunday, November 1, 2020
John 12:27-36
Circle the True or False answers. Correct the False statements by restating them.
- Because Jesus is the Son of God, it was not troubling for Him to face suffering, crucifixion, and death. True or False
- Jesus prayed for the Father to save Him from the hour of death.
True or False
- Jesus said that He came into the world to die. True or False
- After Jesus prayed to His Father, everyone heard only thunder.
True or False
- The voice came from heaven to encourage Jesus to keep obeying His Father and go to the cross to die. True or False
- The ruler of this world will be driven out. True or False
- Jesus indicated how He would die when He said that He would be lifted up from the earth. True or False
- The crowd thought that when the Son of Man (the Messiah) came that He would remain with them forever. True or False
- Jesus said that He was the Son of Man and the Light. True or False
- People who believe in the Light, Jesus the Messiah, may become
children of light. True or False
True and False Test Answers
- False
- False
- True
- False
- False
- True
- True
- True
- True
- True
Prayer
Father, You sent Your Son to die for us because of Your great love. Cleanse our hearts that we may model that love! In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.