Well, I want to read a few verses for you from John 12, and you'll notice that we're taking big chunks of Scripture, and I'm trying, in these chapters, to pull out the central thought of each chapter. This is verse 27 of John 12.
Now is my soul troubled. (Jesus says.) And what shall I say? "Father, save me from this hour"? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. "Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." The crowd that stood there and heard it said it had thundered.
After the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus' fame spreads, crowds follow him, even some Greeks-that means Gentiles. So, John 12 is an amazing power-packed chapter. You have Mary anointing Jesus, and Judas protesting that she could have used her money more wisely. You have the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem with crowds chanting, "Hosanna...! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
Then with this passage, we read there is Jesus with a troubled heart because he's thinking about where this mission of grace will take him. When it talks about his troubled heart, it means you've been there unsettled, stirred up, it's like when you have those sleepless nights. And in this moment, we're confronted with Jesus' humanity. As God, he knows what he's facing; but as a man, he's troubled by what is to come. He was about to endure betrayal of loved ones, horrible injustice, terrible torture, a horribly painful public execution, the rejection of his Father, and death. Perfect Jesus looked at all of these things with dread. And you can be comforted in this; Jesus understands your fear, your anxiety, your dread. He knows what it's like to face the unthinkable. Hebrews 4 says that he's a sympathetic high priest able to meet us in our weaknesses. And he will not turn his back on you when you go through those anxious, troubled moments.
In this moment, when Jesus is troubled, a voice speaks from heaven. The crowd says it was a thunderous voice. Three times in the life of Jesus, a voice speaks to him from heaven, validating his identity and mission. There was a voice at his baptism, a voice at his transfiguration, and a voice here. Now, what's the nature of this mission? There are two aspects that are talked about in this passage.
One is the defeat of Satan. The cross was not a defeat, but a victory. Hear the words of Colossians 2.
...canceling the record of death that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, triumphing over them in him (the cross).
It's on the cross that Jesus triumphed. It's on the cross that he defeated Satan.
The second aspect of his mission is, through his life, death, and resurrection, he will draw all kinds of people to himself. The context here is wider than just Jews, both Jews and Gentiles. We only come to Jesus because of the drawing power of his redeeming grace, unleashed by his life, death, and resurrection. So, the Jews who had seen and heard about the raising of Lazarus, the Triumphal Entry, the thunderous voice from heaven, even in that crowd, many still did not believe on him. And John says, "for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God." May that not be true of us!
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
1. As you think about potential difficulties and suffering in your own future, how does the fact that Jesus was troubled by what was to come in his life bring you comfort? What specific fears, anxieties, and dread can you cast on him right now in a way that they will no longer weigh you down?
2. In the past, how have you experienced Christ meeting you in your weakness? What is it like knowing that Jesus will not turn his back on you when anxious, troubling moments arise in your life?
3. As you reexamine the fact that Satan was defeated at the cross of Christ, how does the triumph of Jesus bring you comfort in the potential fear you may have of the evil one? When Christ disarmed the rulers and authorities (through the cross), he did it in a completely unexpected way--how have you seen God show up in completely unexpected ways in your life?
4. Take a moment to examine the parts of your life where you potentially "love the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God." How might the Lord want you to put those parts of your life to death and treasure his opinion more than the opinion of other people?
Conversation Prompts to Use with Children
For Younger Children:
• When we are weak and need help, how does Jesus meet us and help us? Why is neediness a good thing when it comes to our relationship with God?
• If Jesus defeated Satan on the cross, why shouldn't we be afraid of the devil or his minions?
For Older Children:
• Why do you think neediness might be a good thing when it comes to our relationship with God? How is neediness typically viewed from a human perspective?
• What parts of your life are you tempted to want the approval of other people instead of the approval of God? What parts of my life have you seen that I want people's approval instead of God's? How can we help each other to value God's opinion over anyone else's?
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