THE HOUR HAD COME
JOHN 12:20-33
Introduction:
The Lord has progressively worked toward the hour in which He would die for all mankind. Now that hour had come. We have seen Him as he was hailed the King of Israel in the previous verses as he rode upon a donkey into Jerusalem.
Now we see him as He prepares to be betrayed and crucified for our sins.
I. SEEKERS OF THE TRUTH
A. Greeks desire to see Jesus, v. 20.
1. They had come to worship, Mark 7:26-29, “The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. 28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs. 29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.”
2. The Greeks were known to be seekers of truth, John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
3. Remember that Jesus mentioned that He had “other sheep,” John 10:16, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
B. Jesus recognizes the time, v. 23.
1. Jesus had been moving toward that hour, John 2:4, “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.” John 4:21, 23, “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 23But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” John 7:5-6, 30, “For neither did his brethren believe in him. 6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. 8 Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come. 30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.” 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.”
2. It was time to glorify the Son of man, John 17:1, “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:”
II. A CORN OF WHEAT…
A. Must die to bring forth fruit, v. 24; Isaiah 53:10, 12, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
B. Jesus must die according to prophecy.
1. The Old Testament prophecy, Zechariah 13:7, “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.”
2. The High Priest’s prophecy, John 11:49-53, “And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, 50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. 51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; 52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. 53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.”
III. FOR THIS CAUSE COME I TO THIS HOUR
A. The Lord’s soul was troubled, v. 27; Matthew 26:38, “Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”
1. The sin of our soul was the trouble of Christ’s soul, 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
2. The trouble of his soul was designed to ease that of our souls, John 14:1, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
3. He had come to die, John 10:17-18, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”
B. “Father, glorify thy name,” v. 28.
1. Foremost in the Lord’s mind was to glorify His Father, John 17:1, 4-5, “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: 4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”
2. God responds to His Son’s prayer, v. 28; John 13:31-32, “Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.”
CONCLUSION:
Jesus came to this earth to glorify His Father by redeeming man from his sin. The Apostle Paul tells us in Hebrews 12:2 that Jesus is “the author and finisher of our faith.” In Revelation 1:8 Jesus says “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending.” The Lord has successfully begun and concluded our spiritual need of salvation from sin.