Sermon Tone Analysis

What does it cost?

You are looking at something, you are checking it out, maybe you have researched it and gotten lot’s of knowledge about it.

But the bottom line is:

(slide) What does it cost and are you willing to pay the cost?

When you consider a purchase I’m confident you take into consideration the cost.

One commentator William Barclay said this:

(slide) “There would have been no virtue in Jesus’s obedience to God, if it had come easily and without cost.

Real courage does not mean not being afraid.

It means to be terribly afraid, and yet to do the thing that ought to be done.”

Last week we started in this section of scripture and only got as far as (v.26) so today we will reread the passage and then pick up at (v.27)

I want you to think about that question “what does it cost” as we go through this study this morning.

Last week we started in this section of scripture and only got as far as (v.26) so today we will reread the passage and then pick up at (v.27)

I want you to think about that question “what does it cost” as we go through this study this morning.

Jesus foretells His death

(slide) Open Story book to pg. 117-18; Bible to Jn12:27-36

(slide) From your Bibles, what do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?

Think about this, Jesus is headed to the cross, in the light of the cross, in the light of the suffering, in the light of the betrayal, the humiliation He is facing.

(slide) What does Jesus resort to (v.27)

He resorts to prayer.

In our hurts, in our fears, in our what seems hopeless situations we may face we should too resort to prayer.

Now notice

(slide) How is Jesus feeling (v.27)?

(slide) Notice the words Jesus uses in (v.27)

Jesus does not ask what shall I do, He says what shall I say.

Jesus struggling in the flesh did not lose focus on His calling, the Cross at Calvary and He know He would stay to His purpose as we see in (v.28)

(slide) What was Jesus purpose (v.28)?

(slide) What was the results of Jesus stating His purpose (v.28)?

The Father spoke from Heaven!

Only the 3rd time.

(slide) First time to confirm Him (Baptism)

(slide) Second time to Affirm Him (Transfiguration)

(slide) Third time to Announce Him (the glory of the Father in the Son)

(slide) Second time to Affirm Him (Transfiguration)

In the hour of suffering and surrender there is only two prayer he caa offer up, one is Father save Me; or Father glorify Your name!

(slide) God does not expect us to be comfortable but to be conformable

Now it sure would not be comfortable for Jesus would it?

And in our walk with Christ He calls us to fulfill His purpose in us.

I know

But then if you look at another passage we are to be conformable

(slide) According to Rom8:29 what are we to be conformable to? (move slide back one so the passage is on the slide after ask this question

Comfortable or conformable comes into play in the rest of this passage.

(slide) What did the crowd think, do (v.29)?

They did not really think it was the voice of God.

Some thought thunder, some thought an angel.

But God had a history of speaking to Israel before and they are missing it here.

(not slide) Spoke to the child Samuel (1Sam3:1ff)

Elijah (1Kn19:1ff) after fleeing from Jezebel

Then there is Eliphaz (Job’s friend) who thought he heard directly from God (Job4:16)

(slide) How did Jesus respond (v.30)? - hey this is for your sake, not Mine.

Jesus knew His purpose (v.28)

(slide) Why did Jesus respond like this (v.31)? - Judgment of sin was about to happen, He was going to judge sin and take that sin on Himself at the cross.

The prince of the power of the air, prince of this world would lose his power.

- though we may fall short (Rom5:8) sin has already been judged and handled and because Jesus takes it on we are continually cleansed (1Jn1:7)

,Now this brings us to another great part of this passage

(slide) Is there really and “if” to it, or is He making a point (v.32)?

There really is no “if” for Jesus but an “if” for the crowd if they believed in the prophesy and believed in Him.

It is still the same kind of thing today is it not “if you believe” (expand on this, time permitting)

(slide) what Is He telling them about His death (v.33)? - Crucifixion!

Just as the prophets foretold and He has told them.

(slide) I don’t want us to miss another major point back in (v.32); what is the results of Him being lifted up? - last week mentioned in the light of the cross several time and we need to remember that the cross is crucial and needs to be center.

It is not just for them, it is not just for us, it is for “all men” (better explain that carefully) We need to share the cross, we need to walk in the light of the cross, we need to receive the blessings of the cross for the cross is cross generational too.

It is for young and old alike and we have the message of the cross to share with people.

People question who is Son of Man?

Jn12:34

(slide) What had the crowd heard (v.34)?

(slide) What did the crowd question (v.34)?

Seems there is a mix of people, now a crowd, it has grown from the Greeks who wanted a private audience with Jesus (v.21).

This crowd had information about the Son of Man but now they are wondering is Jesus the Son of man since he is speaking of his own crucifixion, his own death.

But the Son of Man is to live eternally.

They did not realize that he is the Lamb of God here; God’s perfect sacrifice that was born for this reason to go to the Cross so “all men” could be saved.

They were thinking of earthly kingdom also not a heavenly eternal kingdom.

They may be familiar with other scriptures.

or maybe

Ezek37:2

or maybe

Isa9:

still more, I just don’t want to leave anything out

Psm89:

The lesson of history as we look back at this event has it right, Jesus had it right.

It was the Cross that he pinned (or had nailed) His hopes.

Hope because love would live long after His earthly death, because of the heavenly resurrection we can have eternal life in all generations, available to all people.

Jesus finishes His public ministry with some instructions and a warning.

(slide) OK, what are the instructions in (v.35, 36)? -walk while you have the Light; Believe in the Light

(slide) What is the warning (v.35)?

-darkness can overtake you

(slide) What is the promise (v.36)? - You maybe sons of Light!

The instructions speak of the light which dispel darkness.

Though there are some shadows in our lives that may appear from time to time.

(slide) Shadows of doubts and uncertainties

(slide) Shadows of sorrow

(slide) Shadows of fear

Sometimes fear can almost cripple us, we look back and look at our past mistakes and look forward with no visible certainty of not repeating some of the past mistakes.

We cannot let fear overtake us we need to remember the Light and walk in the Light of His Word

We need to walk in certainty and no let doubts or uncertainties waver our faith.

Remember we are not groping around in the darkness not knowing

We need to walk in the certainty of the Lords Light, the Lord’s Truth in the Lord’s way for there will be times we have times of sorrow and the Word of the Lord will carry usthrough, it will dispel the shadows of doubt, the grip of fear.

The person who walks in Christ is delivered from fear, liberated from doubt and has joy that as unending regardless if we feel sorrow at times.

The warning is about the darkness, if you don’t walk in the light then you walk in the darkness and you do not know where you are going.

The time is limited so that should motivate us to share the Light with people so they are not lost in the darkness or in the shadows.

Just one more point to make today, Christ had to be lifted up