10. ZION’S KING KNOWN BY THE GLORY; AND THE WORLD AND ITS PRINCE JUDGED BY THE CROSS OF THE SON OF MAN.
(John 12:12-5012On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. 14And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, 15Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt. 16These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him. 17The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. 18For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. 19The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him. 20And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: 21The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. 22Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. 23And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor. 27Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. 28Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. 29The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. 30Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. 31Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33This he said, signifying what death he should die. 34The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? 35Then 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. 36While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them. 37But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: 38That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? 39Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, 40He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. 41These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him. 42Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: 43For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. 44Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. 45And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. 46I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 47And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 49For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. (John 12:12‑50).)
THE one flock and the new condition of the saint while passing onward to resurrection, have already been before us. vss. 12-19 now unfold a beautiful picture of Israel’s blessing, as the owned and responsible people of Jehovah, realized then for a passing moment in exquisite perfection, since the divine King of Israel was there in the person of Jesus, according to the prophecy of Scripture. As will be observed, this follows the teaching and incidents which are used to illustrate the purely spiritual blessings found in Christianity.
The report having reached Jerusalem that Jesus, after His withdrawal, was again coming there, a great crowd went out to welcome Him, crying, “Hosanna, blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel.” But not yet could Jerusalem be called “The Lord our Righteousness.” Her gates were not those of righteousness, nor was any but Himself the righteous One to enter them. The stone was yet to be rejected. It is true that He fulfills Zechariah’s prophecy, and having found a young ass sits upon it as Zion’s King. And in His person the power was there to annihilate the adversary, and the nations in His train opposed to Jehovah’s King, the Son of David. It was fitting then that His personal dignity and glory should sway, if only transiently, the unprejudiced minds of those who had witnessed His power of resurrection. These, therefore, accompanied Him, testifying that He had called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from among the dead. Those met Him also who had heard the report of it; and the gathered crowds together welcome Him, as in triumph, to the seat of His rule and government.
But He had come in meekness for salvation, not to break the battle bow; and the adversary, by raising the hand of violence against Him, could accomplish what subtlety and deceit had utterly failed to do.
Shouts and acclamations rent the air, and waving palms gave demonstration of an irresistible impulse; but without conscience, if even there were a little faith. So entirely were all thoughtless of the mind of God, that even the disciples knew not these things at the first. It was not until Jesus was glorified that they remembered the Scriptures; and faith and conscience were aroused to the fact that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.
This plainly shows us that, apart from the light which Jesus glorified sheds upon the scene of religious privilege and responsibility, we should have no right understanding of the times, nor any apprehension of the mind of God for the moment, or true appreciation of the path of Jesus, as those responsible to uphold His glory on earth. Without the stability which a Christ in glory gives our souls, if not carried away with a giddy, fickle multitude to cry, “Crucify Him,” we might at least be plunged into the depths of doubt and well-nigh despair, as the disciples were when that bright day’s fair hopes gave place to the impenetrable gloom of Calvary. Jesus on high in heavenly ministry, and the Spirit dwelling in and with us here, are needed in order to bear the heavenly testimony of grace. Otherwise it would be law, not faith; flesh and not the Spirit.
But another scene now unfolds itself; not a glorified Christ in contrast with His coming under law, but a crucified Son of man, the Deliverer from the scene and power of evil and of darkness.
There were certain Greeks who came up to worship at the feast. These were Gentiles in the flesh, without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise. But in spite of this, like the Magi who had seen in the far-off East the star that betokened the birth of the King of Israel, so the glory of the God of Israel had drawn them to Jerusalem. There the fame of Jesus reaches them, and they desire to see Him. Conscious, however, of their inferior position, in which indeed the word of prophecy placed them, they come first to Philip. Conversant with Moses and the prophets, Philip tells Andrew, impressed as the latter was with the glory of Messias. Together they tell Jesus. But for Him it is not the day to take Messiah’s place, nor to fulfill the prophecies of Israel’s glory. The Son of man shall indeed be glorified, and put in force a wider rule; but the grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die, if fruit is to be borne.
Before He crushes the foes of Israel, He will meet the whole power of evil and destroy it in a far profounder depth. He alone understood and estimated what was needed to bring, not these Greeks alone, but any soul of man into that blessing which was in the Father’s heart for them.
To be occupied even now with eternal things, belonging to another world where Christ is gone, and by-and-by to be with Him there honored by the Father, whose name was glorified in raising Him, it was necessary first that this world should be judged, and the prince of it cast out. But how could this be done? and who was there to do it? Jesus would do it by being lifted up upon the cross.
The cross itself was peculiar to the Son of man, and possible for Him alone. An attractive object for all men and an effectual work, both divine in character, are found there. But the path thither He has distinctly formulated for us to walk in, one spiritually outside of and beyond the power of the evil one. Three great principles mark this pathway. The first is grace. Walking in it life in this world is held at the call of the Master, who says, “Follow Me!” But can we follow Him in this path of surrender, perfect love, and devotedness? Yes; the motive for it, and the needed encouragement, are both sufficient. To be where the Lord Himself is — could any motive more powerful be presented to one who knows and loves His Master? And what greater encouragement could there be than that the Father would honor him who served His Son?
But grace might seem to open a world-wide scope for service were it not that the obedience of Christ, which is the second principle of the Christian path, narrows it in detail to that which is for the Father’s glory. For Him, too, who sought this glory in such a world, there was the grave; though surely resurrection out of it. Illimitable the grace; but its highest expression in obedience here was death, which is not the proper scene nor limit of the Father’s glory, except as He raises out of it.
As the hour for glorifying the Father’s name in respect of this sinful world came before the Saviour’s obedient and devoted soul, He was troubled. And how deep the trouble! How solemn, too, that even He was troubled! But except He deliver, the misery was irremediable, the difficulty insuperable, the adversary invincible. Yet the cost of deliverance how great! But for this very purpose He had come; and while piety and perfect love pressed from His lips the cry, “Father, save Me from this hour;” devotedness and obedience immediately added, “Father, glorify Thy name.”
Graciously considerate for the souls of men, drowned in spiritual stupor and fleshliness by the dark power of the prince of this world, the Father, in response to the Son, is heard saying out of heaven, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again,”
This introduces the third essential principle of the Christian path, namely, rejection by and of the world, together with the full detection and final casting out of its prince; as well as a way of acceptance with God and of acceptable approach to Him outside of earth altogether.
Jesus spoke of His death. They thought He was seeking recognition as the Christ. But a dying Christ, for so they rightly understood His words, how foreign to their minds! Yet He did not say “the Christ,” but “the Son of man” must be lifted up. Who is this Son of man? Thus they question. Sitting in darkness and the shadow of death because they rebelled against His word, they needed light. He was it; and for a little while was among them. They must believe in the light and become sons of light. It was in vain now to expect a Christ according to flesh, or even the wider rule of the Son of man over Jew and Gentile. Their path must be in the light itself, or darkness would seize upon them.
The teaching of this passage is most manifest. Divine purposes respecting the Son of man, as well as the promise concerning the Christ after the flesh, must alike give place to another scene than earth, and to relationship with God according to His nature. In fact it is the Christian blessing and approach to the Father in the unveiled glory as the sons of light.
Israel’s opportunity under law of inheriting the earthly promises was forever lost. They had not believed, as Isaiah had said; and the arm of the Lord which would have accomplished those promises had not been revealed. From henceforth the sentence of judicial hardening went out against Israel as a nation. Well indeed we know that in answer to the Saviour’s precious intercession on the cross there was over-abounding grace shown to them nationally in the Gospel. But, in spite of the long-suffering of God, the sentence pronounced by Isaiah, and after seven centuries of suspense reiterated by the Lord Jesus Himself (Matt. 13), here affirmed at the close of His ministry by the testimony of the Spirit, was finally enforced by Paul in his last word to the people (Acts 28:2727For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (Acts 28:27)). Thenceforward the salvation of God was sent to the nations.
Their ruin was not merely due to the darkness of unbelief, but because many, even of the rulers, who did believe were afraid to confess Him lest they should be excommunicated. Glory from man was more to them than glory from God.
Yet to believe on Jesus, lowly as He seemed, was to believe on God. The light, come into the world in His person, was absolutely divine, and was communicated by His words. These were spoken that the world — any soul of man — might be saved; if rejected, His word would judge in the last day. His words were spoken by the Father’s command, and were not only light but also eternal life to all who received them, but were judgment to the rejecters.
The world judged, the prince of it cast out, the earth relinquished, on the one hand; on the other, the Son of man a sacrifice of propitiation for all, above the earth, for entering the heavenly courts. No longer an undying Christ abiding forever; but light come into the world that they might become sons of light, and life eternal revealed in the words of Jesus and received by faith. These form the chief elements of the evil overcome and the blessing introduced, as given in this passage.