Scriptures: John 12:37-50
Sent by the Father to Save the World
John 12:36b-43
Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them.
37 But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they didn’t believe in him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, “Lord, who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 For this cause they couldn’t believe, for Isaiah said again, 40 “He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them.”
41 Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it, so that they wouldn’t be put out of the synagogue, 43 for they loved men’s praise more than God’s praise.
John 12:44-50
Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. 45 He who sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness. 47 If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke, the same will judge him in the last day. 49 For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak.”
Joh 12:37-38 WEB
37 But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they didn’t believe in him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
WHY DIDN’T THE JEWS BELIEVE?
Jesus here quotes Isaiah 53, and it is interesting to not that some rabbis excluded this chapter from their readings because it caused too much controversy.
Isa 53:1-6 WEB
1 Who has believed our message? To whom has Yahweh’s arm been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no good looks or majesty. When we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him. 4 Surely he has borne our sickness and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Paul Prays for Israel to be Saved (Rom 10:1-21 WEB)
1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God is for Israel, that they may be saved. 2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
3 For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn’t subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
5 For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law, “The one who does them will live by them.”
True Righteousness and Salvation
6 But the righteousness which is of faith says this, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down); 7 or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)”
8 But what does it say?
“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart;” that is, the word of faith which we preach:
¨ 9 that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and
¨ believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
¨ 10 For with the heart one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation.
o 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.”
o 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him.
o 13 For, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Preaching the Gospel
Ø 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?
Ø How will they believe in him whom they have not heard?
Ø How will they hear without a preacher?
Ø 15 And how will they preach unless they are sent?
As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”
Faith and Unbelief
16 But they didn’t all listen to the glad news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”
· 17 So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, didn’t they hear?
· Yes, most certainly, “Their sound went out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”
19 But I ask, didn’t Israel know?
o First Moses says, “I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is no nation. I will make you angry with a nation void of understanding.”
o 20 Isaiah is very bold and says, “I was found by those who didn’t seek me. I was revealed to those who didn’t ask for me.”
o 21 But about Israel he says, “All day long I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”
John 12:39-41
39 For this cause they couldn’t believe, for Isaiah said again:
40 “He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them.”
41 Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and spoke of him.
Isa 6:9-10 WEB
He said, “Go, and tell this people, ‘You hear indeed, but don’t understand. You see indeed, but don’t perceive.’ 10 Make the heart of this people fat. Make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed.”
Eze 12:2 WEB “Son of man, you dwell in the middle of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see, and don’t see, who have ears to hear, and don’t hear; for they are a rebellious house.
WHY DID GOD BLIND THEIR EYES?
Because of their unbelief and self-righteousness, they did not want to see. God knows the heart. He resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6) So he resists them and hardens their hearts. Spiritual things can only be seen with spiritual eyes, and are spiritually understood.
1 Corinthians 2:14-15 WEB Now the natural man doesn’t receive the things of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to him, and he can’t know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (15) But he who is spiritual discerns all things, and he himself is judged by no one.
Jesus quotes the scripture about their blindness
Mat 13:14 WEB In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, ‘By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive;
Mar 4:12 WEB that ‘seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’”
Luk 8:10 WEB He said, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of God’s Kingdom, but to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’
As did Paul
Acts 28:24-31 WEB Some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. (25) When they didn’t agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had spoken one word,
“The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah, the prophet, to our fathers, (26) saying, ‘Go to this people, and say, in hearing, you will hear, but will in no way understand. In seeing, you will see, but will in no way perceive. (27) For this people’s heart has grown callous. Their ears are dull of hearing. Their eyes they have closed. Lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, and I would heal them.’
(28) “Be it known therefore to you, that the salvation of God is sent to the nations, and they will listen.”
(29) When he had said these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves. (30) Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who were coming to him, (31) preaching God’s Kingdom, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.
Romans 11:7-10 WEB What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened. (8) According as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.”
(9) David says, “Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, a stumbling block, and a retribution to them. (10) Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Always keep their backs bent.”
Isaiah 29:7-14 WEB The multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all who fight against her and her stronghold, and who distress her, will be like a dream, a vision of the night. (8) It will be like when a hungry man dreams, and behold, he eats; but he awakes, and his hunger isn’t satisfied; or like when a thirsty man dreams, and behold, he drinks; but he awakes, and behold, he is faint, and he is still thirsty. The multitude of all the nations that fight against Mount Zion will be like that.
(9) Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. (10) For Yahweh has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, the prophets; and he has covered your heads, the seers. (11) All vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is educated, saying, “Read this, please;” and he says, “I can’t, for it is sealed;” (12) and the book is delivered to one who is not educated, saying, “Read this, please;” and he says, “I can’t read.”
(13) The Lord said, “Because this people draws near with their mouth and honors me with their lips, but they have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which has been taught; (14) therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the understanding of their prudent men will be hidden.”
The Power of the Word of God
Joh 12:44-50 WEB 44 Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. 45 He who sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness.
47 If anyone listens to my sayings and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke will judge him in the last day.
49 For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me gave me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak. 50 I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak.”