John 12:20-26 (KJV) And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast (of the Passover): [21] The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. [22] Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. [23] And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. [24] Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. [25] He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. [26] If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor.
Homosexuality and sexual sin abounds throughout the nation. Bloodshed is exalted and watched as people murder one another before watching and cheering crowds. Life is cheap. Abortion is legalized and the child – a gift from God – is often thrown away by the mother for convenience sake. Prostitution is a major industry, and temples are built where people come to defile themselves and others. False prophets and false religions are not only tolerated, but mandated – and you are considered intolerant if you do not play along. God’s people are mocked, but also required to pay taxes to a government that does ungodly things with the money that is collected.
This may sound like I was describing America, but I am describing the Roman Empire at this time in history.
There is nothing new under the sun. As Solomon declared …
Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 (KJV) The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. [10] Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
That nation – like ours – was rotting from the inside out. It was rotting because God was not in it.
We Need to See Jesus!
Though many admit that we have terrible problems in America, few seek Jesus. We think we can fix what ails us by psychiatry or drugs or science.
We Need to See Jesus, not a Doctor!
The darkness grows in America and the Church, which is to be the Light of God, retreats. Many have cancelled Prayer Meeting nights and midweek Bible study. Many Churches have no services but on Sunday morning. People come to Church for the coffee, for the contemporary music, for the beat. There’s nothing wrong with music – contemporary or otherwise.
But WE NEED to SEE JESUS!
We need to see Him not as Santa Claus,
To sit on His lap but a moment to get
That shiny new truck.
Oh, how we need to see Jesus!
Our children and grandchildren need to see Jesus.
We need to see Jesus.
Look around – see how many are here tonight.
Praise God for those who are here,
But I weep for those who do not want to see Jesus.
1 Israel Wanted To See Jesus, But Only As A Quick Fix. When Israel heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem for the Passover the crowds turned out. The Scripture says that they …
John 12:13 (KJV) … Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the KING of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.
This is the Jesus who healed the sick. He cured leprosy. And while many Pharisees watched, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Israel was tired of being in bondage. They hated Rome and its laws. They were tired of Herod the politician sitting on his throne, and dishonest Pilate ruling over him. Here was Someone Who could be a King. They called Him “King”.
Blessed is the KING of Israel
Jesus has every right to be King of Israel, but the crowd doesn’t know this. They don’t know Jesus is of the Line of Judah, of the House of David. Yes, He can and will one day be King. The Bible tells us that as Jesus rode into Jerusalem according to prophecy …
John 12:14-15 (KJV) And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; AS IT IS WRITTEN, [15] Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt.
Jesus rode into Jerusalem that day as a fulfillment of prophecy, a prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9. He is the King of the Daughter of Zion, the King of Israel. But Christ is not riding into Jerusalem to overthrow Rome. If He were, He would have rode a white stallion, not a donkey. A King rode into a town on a stallion to conquer, but on a donkey to bring PEACE.
Oh, this was not the first time the mob tried to make Jesus King. When Jesus fed above five thousand with five barley loaves and two small fishes right after this FEAST the mob wanted to make Him King. Yet the Bible says:
John 6:15 (KJV) When Jesus therefore PERCEIVED THAT THEY WOULD COME AND TAKE HIM BY FORCE, TO MAKE HIM A KING, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
Jesus did not come to be “A King”, another in a long line of politicians. The Pharisees worried when they saw the people excitedly shout for Christ.
John 12:19 (KJV) The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? BEHOLD, THE WORLD IS GONE AFTER HIM.
“The whole world was gone after Jesus”. He was the preferred King, the preferred Candidate. The WHOLE WORLD wanted Jesus to be the next earthly King. But this same crowd when it was not appeased would just a few days later shout AGAINST Christ.
When Jesus stood beaten and bleeding before Pilate and Pilate could find no fault in Him, Pilate would ask this same crowd:
John 18:39 (KJV) But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
You wanted Him to be King just a few days ago.
Do you want Him released now?
The same crowd that demanded a golden crown for Christ
NOW demands a crown of thorns.
The crowd that demanded Christ sit on a throne
NOW demands He be hung on a cross.
John 18:40 (KJV) Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.
Release a murderer in His place. Crucify Him.
Why the sudden change?
The Bible like a Great Physician examines mankind.
Humanity sits on the cold metal table in the Doctor’s Office. The Bible places a stethoscope to our chest. What is wrong. We have heart problems. The Bible says:
Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Genesis 8:21 (KJV) … the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth …
Wickedness is bound into the heart of ever person born onto this earth.
We must be born again. We must receive a new heart.
A Politician cannot fix the human heart.
A king cannot fix the human heart.
We need God.
Sir, we MUST SEE JESUS!
2 Jesus Came For Both Jew And Greek. We All Must See Jesus!
John 12:20 (KJV) And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
These Greeks – Gentiles really – came to WORSHIP God. They did not come to start a riot. They did not come to elect a politician. They came to see Jesus. God prophesied of the Messiah that He would be:
Luke 2:32 (KJV) A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
And Isaiah prophesied …
Isaiah 60:2-3 (KJV) For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. [3] And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, …
These Gentiles came to Jesus, attracted by His Light as is a moth to the bulb. They came first to Philip. Philip was a believer. We are told in Scripture that right after Andrew introduced Peter to Jesus, that …
John 1:43 (KJV) The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
Why do you think these Greeks – Gentiles – went to Philip to find Jesus? Because Philip was found of Jesus.
Philip loved Jesus.
John 12:22-23 (KJV) Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. 23 and Jesus answered them saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man SHOULD BE GLORIFIED. …
Jesus came to be glorified. He came to die for both Jew and Greek, both bond and free. Jesus said:
John 12:24 (KJV) Verily, verily, {AMEN-AMEN} I say unto you, Except a {grain} of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Jesus Christ had come – not to cling to this life, but to “fall into the ground and die”. Jesus is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!
How would Jesus “take away the sin of the world”? He would come from Heaven as the Son of God, but go to the Cross as the Son of Man. Jesus would die for our evil hearts. He would die so that we – receiving and believing on Him – could have forgiveness from God. Jesus took my place in judgment and your place in judgment on the Cross. Only God can change the heart. When you receive Christ as Lord and Savior God promises you life.
In Adam all died, but in Christ all can be made alive
(1 Corinthians 15:22).
Praise God for Jesus. Praise God that He came to give Himself for the sins of man. We are told that He Who is very God of Very God …
Philippians 2:7-8 (KJV) {Jesus} made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And BEING FOUND IN FASHION AS A MAN, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF, AND BECAME OBEDIENT UNTO DEATH, EVEN THE DEATH OF THE CROSS.
Jesus Christ fell from the head of the wheat – into the ground and died. He died for your sins and mine. His perfect heart suffered the agony of Calvary because our hearts were fallen. His Blood was shed for us. He died in agony for us. Never has a Person suffered as Jesus Christ suffered for us. The very wrath of God fell upon Him, He Who
John 1:1-3 (KJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
He died for His creation.
Colossians 1:15-17 (KJV) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Oh how we need to see Jesus! Do you see Him? Do you? Do …
Hebrews 2:9,17 (KJV) … we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. … to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Those who believe on Jesus go through a change of heart. God changes the redeemed from the inside out. On our hearts He writes His Law – and we are both citizens and children of His Kingdom.
3 How Then Shall We Change Our Rome? By First Seeing Jesus Ourselves. And then by showing others Jesus by how we live for Him. Like Philip and Andrew we are to walk with Him daily, letting Him shine through us. It is those who walk with Jesus that can share His Word.
If we want to fix our culture, we must share His Kingdom Gospel.
We must preach REPENT and TURN TO CHRIST.
Jesus said:
John 12:25 (KJV) He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that HATETH his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
As long as people love their present fallen condition they shall lose their lives. God did not make us to make our own rules, to wallow in sin as pigs wallow in the mud, to do hateful and evil things. God made us in His image and in His likeness so that we could walk with Him and glorify Him. The Gospel of the Kingdom calls people back to where God wants us to be.
John 12:26 (KJV) If any man serve me, LET HIM FOLLOW ME; AND WHERE I AM, THERE SHALL ALSO MY SERVANT BE: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor.
Jesus Christ came to redeem people from the darkness and to bring them into His Kingdom. Once saved, we are called to serve Him. We served sin before we were saved. Now saved, we serve a Risen Savior. We serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We who are Heaven bound no longer serve ourselves by sin, we serve the Savior through His Spirit. We live as Light, following the Light, proclaiming His Light. Jesus said promised His followers:
John 12:31-33 (KJV) NOW is the judgment of this world: NOW shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32 And I, IF I BE LIFTED UP FROM THE EARTH, WILL DRAW ALL MEN UNTO ME. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
The devil is defeated by the Cross.
Evil is defeated by the Cross.
The heart is corrected by the Cross.
The mind is stabilized by the Cross.
We must shine as lights in darkness,
Else the world will never change.
We must see Jesus. We must see Him as He Who died for all.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (KJV) For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: [15] And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
C.H. Spurgeon once said: “Brothers, if we want to have fruit in our ministry—if we want to see sinners converted—we must preach up Christ’s death! As the blacksmith strikes the hot iron upon the anvil, we must keep the hammer of the Gospel at work upon this great foundation Truth of God, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” It is no talking to men upon other topics in the hope that it will lead to their conversion. The great soul-quickening agency is, “Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” Whoever will come and trust in the God-appointed Substitute for sinners shall be eternally saved, for life comes only through His death! “
The Cross must be preached. We must tell them that Christ died for all, that God loves all. We cannot fix what ails us, but Christ can. God’s Gospel can – and we must keep on telling the world. Watchman Nee said:
“Everything in our service for the Lord is dependent on His blessing.”
God will always bless the sharing of Christ’s Gospel. Be a blessing to our nation. Shine for Christ. Share Christ. We must see Jesus. We must ALL see Jesus!
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