Sermon Tone Analysis
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*John 12:27-36* \\ \\
You can tell a great person by the way they handle times of crisis
"
-athlete who "wants the ball" in clutch situations "
-soldier who risks his life in heat of battle to save a friend "
-Winston Churchill during World War II . .
."We will never, never, never give up"
-Martin Luther when he was summoned to the Diet of Worms and told to recant.
Luther's response: "
If you will show me my error by means of the clear teaching of the Word of God I will repent.
"My conscience is held captive by the Word of God.
I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither honest nor safe.
Here I stand, I can not do otherwise.
God help me.
Amen"
-The great Saint and Martyr, Polycarp was brought before the crowd in the Roman Colosseum.
When told to renounce his faith or be thrown to the lions, Polycarp responded, "Eighty-six years I have served him.
He has never done me any wrong.
How then shall I blaspheme my King who has saved me.?" . . . .
when he was additionally threatened with being burned at the stake, Polycarp responded:"Your fire may last for an hour, then it is over.
But do you not know of the judgement to come, the punishment that is forever.
Have you not thought of that Mr. Proconsul?
Oh, you may do with me as you wish, but one day you will stand before the judge of heaven and earth."
But the greatest example of character was exhibited as Jesus faced the cross looming before Him.
In our text this morning we begin to see his character shine in the time of crisis.
In our text we see the Savior's COMMISSION and his SUBMISSION.
!!! THE COMMISSION OF THE SAVIOR
Jesus tells his listeners, "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say?
'Father, save me from this hour'?
No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour."
Jesus says what is coming in His life was what He was commissioned for.
He knows the cross is coming, but He also knows that this is what the Father wanted from Him.
The question is, why?
Jesus says, "Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out."
Notice the judgement is coming.
However it is not coming in the way we would expect it.
God's wrath is not going to be focused on the world as it was in the flood.
He is not going to destroy a city as he did in the days of the Judges.
God's wrath is going to be in response to all sin and will be focused on one man . . . the man on the cross.
Jesus.
This is why Jesus' soul was troubled.
He wasn't afraid to die.
He was dreading the wrath of God.
Jesus, who had all from all time known perfect fellowship with the Father, was now going to face the Father's anger.
He who had known no sin was now going to suffer wrath as payment for the sin of the very ones who spurned Him.
Peter explains, (1 Peter 2:24) He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
(1 Peter 3:18) For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
On that decisive moment on the cross Satan was defeated.
Satan and his host had a party...they thought they had won.
They didn't.
Jesus faced Hell for us and emerged victorious.
On that cross Jesus paid the debt of sin for everyone who would believe.
He faced God's wrath so that we would not have to.
There is an old old story told that seeks to illustrate the cost of this sacrifice.
It seems a bridge-keeper was tending the draw bridge over the river.
On this particular night the man had brought his son to work with him.
The phone rang and it was a train engineer informing the bridge-keeper of his impending arrival.
When he hung up the phone he put the gears in motion to close the bridge so the train could cross safely.
He was startled to hear a blood curdling scream from outside his shack.
Unknown to him his son had left the shack and had fallen into the mechanism which controlled the bridge.
The man had a difficult decision to make.
He could halt the closure of the bridge and try to extricate his son and save his life . . .
but to do so would mean the train would go crashing into the river.
But to let the bridge close would cost him his son.
He did the only thing He could do . . .
He closed the bridge while he sobbed over his son.
The story concludes with the heartbroken father watching the train pass safely.
As it passed he saw people in the dining car enjoying laughing, eating and enjoying themselves.
Others slept peacefully.
Some read.
Everyone was totally unaware of the price that was paid for them to cross the river.
Now, it's a touching story.
And it is certainly true that we do not appreciate the cost of our redemption.
But the story is deficient.
The death of Christ on the cross was no accident.
Jesus did not stumble and fall when the Father wasn't looking.
The Father did not agonize over who to save.
The cross was the Father's design to save His rebellious and ungrateful creation.
This was the Father's plan.
We read of the Father's audible voice confirming that He had indeed been glorified by the Son.
We think how comforting that would have been to the Savior.
But Jesus said the voice was not for His benefit but for ours.
The Father's voice let us know that what was about to happen to Jesus was the Father's perfect will.
Things were not out of control.
Jesus is willing to go to the cross because He knows when he is "lifted up" he will "draw all men to Him."
No longer would salvation be restricted to the Jews.
Now, people of all races and nations (like you and me) would have the opportunity to be children of God.
That's why He did it.
That was His commission.
Do you appreciate the cost of your salvation?
His grace is free but it isn't cheap.
!!! THE SUBMISSION OF THE SAVIOR
But this is only part of the insight this passage gives us.
Jesus is uneasy.
We forget that His struggle was very real.
In the garden we see Jesus on His knees crying out, "If it is possible, let this cup pass from me.
Yet, not what I want but what you want."
These are words of great faith.
Jesus does not debate.
He does not give God alternatives.
He does not plead for mercy.
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