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Book: John
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John 12:41
I. "These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of
Him."
A. Jesus had referred many times to hour in which He was to
be glorified.
1. In the earlier part of His ministry He kept
declaring that the hour had not yet come for Him to
be glorified.
2. Now He has declared that the hour has come to be
glorified. vs 23, and there he refers to the corn of
wheat falling into the ground and dying that it
might bring forth much fruit. So we know that He was
referring to His being glorified through His death.
3. It is because of the cross of Jesus Christ that we
glorify God. "God forbid that I should glory save in
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."
4. Isaiah said these things when he saw His glory and
spoke of Him.
B. It is in chapter 53 of Isaiah where Isaiah said, "Who
hath believed our report, and to whom hath the arm of
the Lord been revealed?"
1. It is in the 53rd chapter where Isaiah prophesies
His death, whereby He glorified the Father.
2. John tells us that Isaiah was speaking of Jesus in
chapter 53, of course we had already figured that
out.
II. Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on
Him; but because of the Pharisee's they did not confess Him
lest they should have been put out of the synagogue.
A. In chapter 18 John indicates that he knew the high
priest, and was known by his household servants, so he
had contacts among the Jewish leaders, and would thus
know of those who believed on Jesus.
1. John gives us some information as to what went on in
some of the private meetings of the Jewish leaders.
This information evidently came from inside sources.
2. We know that Nicodemus was one of the secret
believers. In one of the private sessions he spoke
up challenging one of the judgments that they had
made without having all of the evidence.
3. Joseph of Arimathaea was one of the secret disciples
of Jesus who came out in the open after the
crucifixion.
B. One has to wonder about the secret believers who would
not openly confess Jesus as Messiah.
1. Paul declared that salvation came by confessing with
your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and by believing
in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead.
For with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation.
2. Jesus said that if you would confess Him before men,
then He would confess you before His Father who was
in heaven, but if you denied Him before men, then He
would deny you before the Father.
3. The question is were they really saved if they did
not openly confess with their mouths that Jesus was
the Lord and Messiah?
4. There are those today who are secret believers in
Jesus. Are they truly saved?
5. These are questions that can be argued, but cannot
be answered. We do not know, it is a matter of
question and arguement. I do not like to live under
a question, I want to know for sure.
6. We do know that in a hour of weakness Peter denied
his Lord three times.
C. In proverbs we read that the fear of man bringeth a
snare, but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be
safe.
1. We seem to be so cowed by the fear of the reproach
of man.
2. Many have been trapped by the fear of man.
III. "For they loved the praise of man more than the praise of
God."
A. There are far too many people who fit this category
today.
1. There are those who spend their whole lives in the
of what others might be thinking or saying
about them.
2. All of their activities are designed for the praise
of man.
a. I went to pastor a church in Los Serranos, and
the first Sunday there was a beautiful bouquet
of flowers on the altar. That afternoon a board
member of the church called to tell me that I
had not acknowledged the flowers, and that if I
did not acknowledge them, they wouldn't be
there any more.
b. Sure enough they gave me one more week of grace
the flowers were there the second week also,
but ceased to appear after that.
3. Jesus warns us to beware that we do not our righteous
deeds so as to recognized by man. If we are doing
things for God then we should be satisfied that God
sees, and acknowledges.
B. Paul tells us that what ever we do in word or deed that
we should do it all for the glory of God, knowing that
from the Lord, we shall be receiving our reward.
1. Paul speaks of the vain glory of man.
2. How fickle is the world who glories and exhalts
their idols.
a. They cheer their lungs out when their hero's
are having a good week.
b. Let the hero go into a slump for a few weeks
and boos will greet them as they enter the
field of play.
c. You can go from hero to chump so fast.
3. The praise of God is everlasting.
C. Are you looking for the praise of God or the praise of
man?
1. How much of what you do is designed subtlely to
draw attention to yourself?
2. What is better, temporary rewards or eternal
rewards?
a. Paul speaks of the great body discipline the
athletes underwent as they trained for the
olympics. He noted that they did it for a
corruptible crown, but that we were seeking
and incorruptible crown.
b. The thought being that we should be willing
for even greater sacrifices of time and
energies.
D. It is interesting how many people's lives are dictated
by what people might say.
1. This is the first thing that crosses their mind.
What will people say, or think?
2. What we really should be thinking is what will God
think of my actions.
a. Many of the actions that might stand you in
favor with the world may bring you disfavor
with God.
b. That can certainly be reversed also.
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