LORD, WHO HATH BELIEVED OUR REPORT?
JOHN 12:37-43
Introduction:
We have here the honor done to our Lord Jesus by the Old Testament prophets, who foretold and lamented the infidelity of the many that believed not on him. It was indeed a dishonor and grief to Christ that his doctrine met with so little acceptance and so much opposition.
That same doctrine continues to rejected by many today, however, many have received Christ as their Savior seeing that say glory that Isaiah saw so many years ago.
I. NATION UNBELIEF
John 1:11, ” He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”
A. They did not believe, v. 37.
1. They would not believe, Luke 22:67, “Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:”
a. They had seen the miracles, Acts 2:22, “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:”
b. Many of them had seen Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead, John 12:9, “Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.”
2. They chose not to believe, John 5:40, “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”
a. They love the darkness, John 3:19, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
b. They prefer the wages of sin, Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
B. They were blind and deaf to God’s Word, Matthew 13:14-15, “And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”
II. LORD, WHO HATH BELIEVED OUR REPORT?
Isaiah 53:1, “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?”
A. They have not obeyed the Gospel, Romans 10:16-17, “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
B. His report was that of the Glory of the Son of God, Isaiah 6:1-5, “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”
1. Isaiah had seen Jesus Christ in His glory, Ephesians 1:18, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.”
2. He had seen the Prince of the kings of the earth, Revelation 1:5, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,”
3. Isaiah was overwhelmed by the Glory of the Messiah, Psalm 19:1-3, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
C. Yet his report was not believed by most, vs. 39-40; Romans 11:8, “(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.”
III. GOD ALWAYS HAS A REMNANT
Isaiah 37:31-32, “And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward: 32 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.”
A. Some believed among the chief rulers, v. 42.
1. Nicodemus believed among others, John 19:39, “And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.”
2. Others were afraid of being put out of the synagogue, John 16:2, “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.”
3. However, some loved men’s praise more than God’s praise, v. 43; Matthew 6:2, “Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”
CONCLUSION:
Men still love the praise of men rather than the praise of God. Israel is still blind, but not for long. God will redeem His people.
In the mean time the Gospel of Christ continues to be preached and man is left with a choice. Either serve God or mammon.