But none are as dramatic as today's Text. Or,
dare I say, as important. We must remember that Jesus is God!
But also, Jesus is man. And, Jesus is honest! That's why He
shared with us His feelings so openly.
The adverb "now" is "nun" in Greek, meaning
"at this time, presently." Think of it, Jesus sharing His
burdens and concerns with those around Him! How tender, how
touching!
And much like its Hebrew counterpart, the
Greek word for soul, "psuche," means "breath," then "life"
itself. It is generally thought to include one's mind and will
and emotions.
Not sinfully so, of course.
Disturbed.
And the verb "troubled," again "tarasso," is
framed as an "indicative perfect," telling us that this
"agitation" Jesus was experiencing was an on-going event. He had
known for a long time about the approaching Cross, maybe all His
earthly life. Perhaps even for all eternity. He is the
omniscient God!
No wonder He wanted to get it "out of the
way!" That's exactly what Luke 11:50 means.
"But
I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened
till it be accomplished!" That "baptism" Jesus just
mentioned was His Death for you and me!
Listen to Jesus, talking about the upcoming
Battle at Calvary ...
Now, back to our very short Text today, John
12:27.
"Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say?"
Watch His thoughts develop!
"Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me
from this hour?"
No, He thinks not!
No way!
He is not looking for "a way out" of the
Cross!
"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."
"This is why I came!"
Again, "For this cause
came I."
What sanctified reasoning!
Glory to God!
He looks fear right in the eyes, walks right
by it, and travels straight to Golgotha's Hill! Bearing our sin
and debt!
He truly "cast all His care" on His Heavenly
Father!
And emerged victorious!
Anyone reading here today who is "troubled?"
If so, Jesus knows just how you feel.
And He is "touched" with your feelings and
infirmities also.
Why not come to Him, bringing your troubles
and all, right now?
After all, since He died for you, the single
biggest issue in life, He certainly can care for whatever
troubles you today.
Help us, dear Lord.
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
Also ...
We will never know all Jesus endured on that
Cross. Or before it happened, too. The load was awesome, truly!
But we can thank Him and love
Him and worship Him for our salvation!
Surely we will!
Today!
LESSON 2, FOR THIS
CAUSE CAME I:
Why did Jesus come to earth?
According to His Own words, He
came to face a certain "hour!"
Let's quickly follow Him
through the Gospel of John, especially in reference to this
"Hour."
Jesus to Mary His Mother, early
in His Ministry too: "Jesus
saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee?
mine hour is not
yet come." John 2:4, our Lord already aware of His coming
"Hour," His ordeal on the old rugged Cross!
Then again in John 7:30, when His enemies
tried to take Him and harm Him. "Then they
sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because
his hour was not
yet come." No man can "kill" Him, until the right "Hour"
comes!
Again in John 8:20.
"These
words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple:
and no man laid hands on him; for
his hour was not
yet come."
Then, in rapid-fire sequence, once His Hour
was at hand.
"And Jesus answered
them, saying, The hour
is come, that the Son of man should be glorified." John
12:23
"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." John 13:1
"Behold,
the hour cometh, yea, is
now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his
own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because
the Father is with me." John 16:32
Then, in prayer. "These
words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said,
Father, the hour is come;
glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee."
John 17:1
Jesus lived constantly with this "Hour" in
view!
He came to die as our Saviour!
And that fact alone places great significance
on our Text Verse today. It's where Jesus said:
"For this cause came I unto this hour."
John 12:27
He lived His thirty-three plus years ... to
come to the Hour of the Cross!
And when that Hour finally came, our Lord did
not fail!
He did not fail His Father in Heaven!
He did not fail lost sinners on earth!
He did not fail His Own Plan and Purpose!
He died!
He offered His Own Life!
"For this cause!"
How thankful we should be!
"For the Son of man is
come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10
"Even as the Son of man
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his
life a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28
The Greek phrase "for this cause" is spelled
"dia touto." And "dia" is a preposition which means "because
of." While "touto" is a pronoun, meaning "this thing."
For "this thing," this "Hour," Jesus came to
earth!
Let's glance back over the whole verse, John
12:27. Jesus is reasoning with Himself.
"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."
He will not "flinch!"
He will not seek to be "relieved" of Calvary!
He will "go through" with the Plan!
After all, that is why He came!
We today are saved due to this Cause!
This Cross!
And the Blood He shed there!
Jesus lived with great purpose!
And He accomplished it all, on the
Cross!
That's why one of His last cries from Calvary
was: "It is finished!"
That's John 19:30.
He completed His "Cause!"
What a Saviour we have!
Glorify and worship Him today!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 3, VERSE 28:
A Voice from
Heaven!
That's what our verse today
discusses.
Jesus is praying.
"Father,
glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying,
I have both glorified it, and will glorify it
again." John 12:28
The most recent object of discussion has been
the Cross on which Jesus was to die. Read the previous verse
again, John 12:27. "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."
Jesus' "Hour," especially in John's Gospel,
means that terrible ordeal on Calvary. His vicarious Death for
sinners! He died in our stead!
When our Lord asks God the Father "to
glorify" His Name, the verb "doxazo" is used. It means "to
magnify, to honor, to hold someone in high esteem!"
It is likely that Jesus is asking God to be
sure that the Cross Event does take place!
That was the only way lost souls could
possibly be saved, ever!
"Father,
glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying,
I have both glorified it, and will glorify it
again." John 12:28
The noun "name" is "onoma," that by which a
person is "known." In the Bible, one's "name" represent one's
very "character" as well. That's why Solomon says:
"A good name is rather to be
chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than
silver and gold." Proverbs 22:1
Well, God the Father has a Good
Name, at least in Jesus' estimation!
And Jesus means to keep it that way!
Jesus here in His "Glorify Thyself Father"
prayer is not asking for the birds to keep singing. Or the
oceans to keep roaring. Or the sun to rise tomorrow morning.
He is asking that His Death occur, just a
planned for all eternity!
That most glorifies His Father in Heaven!
That's how important lost souls are to the
Father, and the Son!
And, does God answer this prayer?
The most unselfish prayer ever prayed!
In so many words, Jesus just asked His
Father: "Let me die for the lost, please!"
Yes!
Yes!
Yes, God answers this prayer!
Immediately!
"Father,
glorify thy name." The prayer, John 12:28a
The answer: "Then came
there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified
it, and will glorify it again." John 12:28b
The noun "voice" is "phone," pronounced fo-nay'.
It's probably from "phaino," meaning "to emit light!" That's
what a voice does, intellectual light.
"I have glorified" is "doxazo" again, this
time as an aorist active verb in the indicative mood. God is
saying "Calvary is as good as done!"
"It will happen!"
"No doubt!"
In eternity past, Jesus has already died! In
the forethoughts of God, anyway! In the Mind of Omniscience!
John elsewhere tells us this. Revelation 13:8
mentions "The
Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."
Peter also: "The
precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation
of the world." 1st Peter 1:19-20
When Jesus said to Nicodemus,
"Even so must the Son of man be
lifted up," Jesus really meant the verb "must!" The verb
"dei" means "is necessary!"
But there's one more clause in our verse
today.
"Father,
glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying,
I have both glorified it, and will
glorify it again." John 12:28
This coming "glorification" is the actual
Event itself, the literal death of Jesus on the Cross!
As if the Father has said to Jesus ...
"Son, the Cross is an eternally pre-planned
event! In that divine sense, it is already a fact of history!"
"And Son, It will happen as scheduled! In
that sense it is an observable occurrence!"
"Father,
glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying,
I have both glorified it, and will glorify it
again." John 12:28
And this Topic is important enough for the
Trinity, The Father and The Son, to be discussing it right here
in the middle of John chapter twelve!
And the Holy Ghost has recorded their words
for our learning!
God the Father, speaking out loud!
Astounding!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
Yes!
God thought our salvation was critically
important!
Did He not?
LESSON 4, VERSE 29:
It was the voice of God!
God the Father.
He spoke in response to one of
Jesus' prayers.
"Father,
glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying,
I have both glorified it, and will glorify it
again." This is yesterday's Verse, John 12:28
Now today we learn the people's response to
that Voice.
"The
people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that
it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him." John
12:29
The noun "people" here is "ochlos," meaning
"a crowd." In the King James New Testament, "multitude, company,
press, number."
The general public stood near Jesus,
Pharisees and Greeks and some of His Own followers as well.
The terms "stood by" and "heard it" are both
verbs acting like adjectives. These are called participles. Both
expressions describe the people.
Once the "Sound" has been heard, everyone
begins to talk!
Remember, it is the Voice of God that has
pierced the heavens!
But no one seems to know that, No One but
Jesus!
"The
people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that
it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him." John
12:29
Watch.
Some guessed "low," just thunder.
Others guessed "higher," an angel maybe.
But both were wrong.
The noun "thunder" is "bronte," akin to the
verb "bremo," just meaning "to roar!" This one is named well,
for sure.
Think of that.
Hearing God Himself, and reducing His Voice
to a mere sound of nature. Nothing more than a feature of the
weather.
The other group thought spiritually, anyway.
It's an "angel," they assumed.
The word is "aggelos," taken from "ago," a
verb meaning "to bring." That is, at least here, "to bring a
message." Angels are God's errand runners, His messengers
indeed.
Still, these people, no doubt meaning well,
have underestimated Almighty God.
One preacher of years far past thought that
the "angel" people were closer to the truth that the "thunder"
people. And he is right, that preacher is.
But as far as the crowd is concerned, both
groups were still wrong!
"The
people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that
it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him." John
12:29
When a person is in trouble and needs to hear
from God, thunder will not solve the problem!
And when you are hungry for Heaven, craving
companionship with the Lord, an angel will not suffice either!
Only God can meet such needs!
How many people today see all this so-called
"religion" thing, and I am speaking of "true religion," being
saved and walking with the Lord, as some quirk of nature?
Thunder!
Or as just some metaphysical, eerie,
super-spiritual encounter?
Angels!
Never realizing that to go to Heaven, only
the Lord God can save?
Only the Father in Heaven can give His only
begotten Son!
Only God can plan and bring to fruition the
Cross of Calvary!
Where sinners can be saved!
What did God say that day?
"Then
came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both
glorified it, and will glorify it again."
Every commentator I can find says He is talking about the Cross
here!
Calvary will happen!
It is God's Plan!
It will being glory to Jesus, to God the
Father, and the Holy Spirit!
And it will bring salvation to us old
sinners, ex-sinners now!
Thunder can't do that!
Neither can angels!
Let's pray for the lost, not only that their
"eyes" will be opened, but their "ears" also!
To hear the Voice of God!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
Christian friend,
Has He spoken to you today?
Through His Word? Through His Spirit in the
Word? Through His providential care all night long?
God, give us "ears to hear!"
LESSON 5, VERSE 30:
Just after God "spoke," His
Voice being heard by all present, Jesus made one comment.
Our whole Text reads as
follows: "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 thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying,
I have both glorified it, and will glorify it
again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it,
said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.
Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but
for your sakes." John 12:27-30
Those last few words constitute today's
lesson. "Jesus answered and said, This
voice came not because of me, but for your sakes." John
12:30
Even the verb "answered" has significance. It
is built on the "krino" verb family. And "krino" means "to
judge, to discern, to mentally separate." Jesus' answer here has
been carefully considered. Evaluated with all His Wisdom!
Wouldn't it be good if all our "answers" were
that way, too? Filtered through the sieve of God's Word!
Even the verb "said" carries the same idea.
It's an aorist form of "lego," indicating the use of "logic" as
well.
It might seem that what Jesus is about to say
is "trivial." But that is never the case with our Lord. If He
says it, it is vitally important!
Once Paul called the "words" of Jesus
critical to "sound doctrine!" Read this with me.
"If any man teach otherwise, and consent
not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness ..."
Here 1st Timothy 6:4 just equated "wholesome words" to the
"words of our Lord Jesus Christ!"
But exactly what did Jesus say?
"This voice came not
because of me, but for your sakes." John 12:30b,
referring to the "thunder" some of them had just heard! Or the
"angelic" chatter!
Really the "Voice" was that of God the
Father! He had said, "I will glorify My Name, Son!" Words to
that effect.
At first glance we might think the Father
said that to encourage His Son. To bolster Jesus as he faced
that torturous death on the Cross!
But not so!
Jesus makes that clear!
The voice came, not "because" of Jesus, not
at all. Here "because" is "dia" in Greek, meaning "on account
of, for the sake of," both being synonyms for "because."
No, the voice was "for the sakes" of the
hearers!
Now again we have "dia," still with an
accusative object. So, still meaning the same thing. God spoke
"on account of" the bystanders that day!
And they "missed" His Voice!
Some only heard "thunder," they thought.
Others were pretty sure it was an "angel"
talking!
But in reality it was the Creator/Redeemer
God of the universe confirming the Plan we know as "salvation!"
Proving the identity of Jesus the carpenter!
Jesus, Who was, make that still
is, God the Son!
The Second Person of the Trinity!
Very God of Very God!
"Jesus answered and
said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes."
John 12:30
But, wait a minute!
Why did Jesus not need any confirmation from
His Father?
I can answer that.
Because Jesus had absolutely no doubt, none
at all, ever, about God the Father and His Plan and His Will and
His Truth!
Jesus absolutely knew that when He had just
said: "For this Cause, The Cross, came I
unto this Hour," He was speaking God's Plan.
And our Lord also was positive that His
Father was listening!
Definitely!
Jesus did not need that Voice!
In a way, a real way, He was that
Voice!
He and His Father, mystically but literally,
are One!
John 10:30, "I and My
Father are One."
And here's the proof that Jesus did not need
a confirmation that His Father was intently listening to His
prayers.
We must go back one chapter in John's Gospel
to the graveside of Lazarus.
Watch, it's about to happen!
"Then
they took away the stone from the place where the dead
was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said,
Father, I thank thee
that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always:
but because of the people which stand by I said it, that
they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had
spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth."
John 11:41-43
This Jesus knew, "the Father hears Him
always!"
"Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that
thou hearest me always ...."
God always heard Jesus!
I believe that even when God had to
"withdraw" Himself from the sin-bearing Jesus, on Calvary, He
still "heard" every word the Son said!
God was even aware of Jesus' passionate Cry
from the Cross: "My God, my God, why hast
thou forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46 quoting Psalm 22:1
Yes, The John chapter 12 "Voice" was God the
Father's!
But it was not sent for Jesus' sake!
Rather, for ours!
Some sinner today needs to be hearing that
Voice! I mean someone reading right here, this Wednesday in
June!
It, the Voice, says something like this.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is
passed from death unto life." John 5:24
The Lord can save you right now.
Additionally, as far as I can tell, based on
Scripture, here's the next time that Voice will be heard! Jesus
said this, too! "Marvel not at this: for
the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves
shall hear his voice,
and shall come forth ...." John 5:28
Wow!
Get it!
That Voice will yet again speak!
And the graveyards will empty!
Jesus continues: "They
that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they
that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
John 5:29
The Voice of God!
Are you ready?
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
