Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Gospel Lesson just read, from John 12. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- Life is full of mystery – although we tend to focus on what can be known and relied upon, and satisfy ourselves with that. This is practical – and there is more than enough “knowable information” for us to ever master. However, from time to time it is intriguing to consider mysteries – like why things happen to certain people, both good and bad, and why certain things happen to us. We hope to be able to find a way to figure these things out, but often we end up having to leave them as mysteries.
- It is no different when it comes to our faith and trust in God. There is a good deal of mystery when it comes to God – and often it does us no good to speculate about God; in fact it can bring us great harm. Because of the reality of sin there is also a good deal of darkness and ignorance that infects not only the world but also our own hearts and minds.
- Therefore God has given us “light” – the Word of God, both the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior, and also the literal Word of God, the teachings of God, the revelation of Himself given to us in Holy Scripture, the Bible. However, even this Word of God can create difficulties for us – as we see in the question of the crowd addressed to Jesus, which came from “the Law,” the Old Testament Scripture.
- This is the result of two factors: first, the continuing influence of the darkness of our sinful nature, and second, the natural limitations of being human and the greater glory of God’s wisdom. This creates what we call “paradox,” realities that appear to us to be contradictory or even mutually exclusive.
- This leaves us with two choices. We can reject the paradoxes, and along with them the whole of the Word of God, including the paradoxes that involve Jesus and God’s gift to us of salvation. But Jesus encourages us to “believe in the light,” and so we understand that “CHRISTIAN FAITH EMBRACES GOD’S PARADOXES.” First,
I. Christian Faith Embraces The Paradox Of Christ Being Lifted Up
Text: “The crowd answered Him, ‘We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can You say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?’”
They understood that Jesus was talking about His imminent death.
A. But The Cross Of Christ Involves Ignominy And Glory, And Glory From The Ignominy – The Glory Of God’s Salvation And Redemption Of Mankind, And This Irony Was Clearly Revealed By The Prophet Isaiah
Is. 53:3-5,9,10,12 “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed. . . . and they made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, and there was no deceit in His mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush Him; He has put Him to grief; when His soul makes an offering for guilt, He shall see His offspring; He shall prolong His days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. . . . He poured out His soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”
B. So The Cross Of Jesus Involves The Paradox Of Death And Life, And Death Bringing Eternal Life To Us [Christ’s Resurrection And Our Own]
Heb. 2:14 “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.”
2 Tim. 1:10 “Our Savior Christ Jesus has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
Rev. 1:18 “I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
John 11:25,26 “Jesus said to her [Martha], ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’”
Statement: We can understand the unfortunate confusion of the people who questioned Jesus – how it was a consequence of their own sinful darkness and also the paradoxical nature of God’s way of bringing salvation, forgiveness, restoration, and renewal to people through repentance and faith in His Light, His Son, our Savior. We can also empathize, for we suffer the same darkened minds and the same limitations in grasping and understanding the mysteries of God’s love. We too can focus on what we “observe” and what human beings “know” and the conclusions that human reason arrives at.
Application: So we are called to repentance, to humility, and to greater trust and confidence in God and His Word. And the whole import of what Jesus was talking about – His death and glorification – is intended to remind us of the purpose of His coming, and what was accomplished in His mission, our redemption, forgiveness, and salvation by the grace, mercy, and love of God. So Jesus also encourages us to “walk in the light,” the light of God’s love, the light of His Word which clearly presents His gracious mercy and His free gift of eternal life and salvation in Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God!
Transition: And then we are urged to humility, to always remember that:
II. The Light Of God Is Always Paradoxical To Fallen Human Beings – Requiring Faith In His Word
A. Remembering Also That Light Is Available Only For A Little While – That We Should Grasp It At Every Opportunity, Lest Darkness Overcome Us
Text: “Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.”
Eph. 4:30-32 “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by Whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
B. For Only Those In The Light, Who Believe In The Light, See And Become Sons Of Light
Text: “While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”
John 8:31,32 “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Statement: At many times in our lives we become convinced that we have “grasped” and seen the light – and concluded that there is no need for us to continue our study of the Word of God, neither the Scripture in Bible Study or even the instructions of Jesus, the Word of God. And many around us have fallen away from the light – we all know many such people, some within our own families. And to a person, each of them “does not know where he is going.” Yet their fruits are apparent: “bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, malice” and very little “kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness.”
Application: If we are to remain children of God, sons of light, heirs of eternal life, then we must “believe the light” and “abide” in Christ’s Word, and this includes “EMBRACING GOD’S PARADOXES.” It is also paradoxical to us – even as believers – that Jesus would subsequently depart and hide Himself from them, but this is what He did. May it never be so for any of us!
Conclusion: May God grant that we continue to be drawn into the light of God’s Word, that we remain firm in our faith and trust in Him, in the wonders of His love, even when we are confronted by paradox. Indeed, may we grow in our knowledge of the paradoxes of Christian faith, those which God’s Word presents to us, and truly embrace them. In so doing we will not be overtaken by darkness, but will be sons of light – knowing the truth, and freed by the truth. God grant it to us all! Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.