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John 12:20-50

Bearing Much Fruit

  • Rich Jones
  • Weekend Messages
  • September 01, 2013

After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, many people came to Jerusalem, seeking Jesus. Today, the same is true, and we need to point others to Christ through how we act. But how do we show the Lord today? These verses are filled with powerful insights into how people come to know the Lord. Jesus’ answer gives us God’s heart for how to live a life that bears fruit to God and makes a difference in the lives of others.

  • Sermon Notes
  • Scripture

Bearing Much Fruit

John 12:20-50

Let’s step back and see what’s happening with Jesus over the last couple of weeks of our study. Lazarus, a friend whom Jesus loved, had died and was
in the grave four days. Jesus arrived, declaring that He is the resurrection and the life and that whoever believes in Him will live, even if he
dies. And then He said, “Do you believe this?”

He then told them to remove the stone that covered the tomb. He raised His eyes, prayed to the Father, and then cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus,
come forth.” He’s leading up to something. He’s strengthening their faith and declaring that He is the resurrection and the life so that when Jesus
Himself is crucified, laid into a tomb very much like the one Lazarus was in, and then raised from the dead on the third day, they will have the
faith to take hold of it.

After that, they had a dinner. Lazarus was there along with his sisters, Mary and Martha. Jesus was also reclining at the table. Mary came up to Him
with a jar of perfume worth perhaps more than $30,000, pouring it upon Him and wiping His feet with her hair. Judas objected, but Jesus explained
that she did this to prepare Him for His burial.

On the next day, Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on a young donkey. There was a great multitude coming into Jerusalem with Him shouting, “Hosanna!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.”

This is that great triumphal entry of Jesus that we celebrate each year on Palm Sunday. As Jesus was descending from the Mount of Olives toward Jerusalem,
seeing the city laid out before Him, he began to weep, saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how I’ve longed to gather you like a hen would gather her
chicks, but you would not have it. Behold, your city is laid to you desolate because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Jesus then entered the temple, braided a whip and began chasing out the money changers, overturning their tables, saying, “My Father’s house is to
be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.”

That brings us to the verses we’re studying today beginning in verse 20. There were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the Passover
feast. They wanted to see Jesus, saying to Philip, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

They were sincerely seeking; they were sincerely asking. No doubt, they had heard the great things that Jesus had done; the fame of Him raising Lazarus
from the dead was spreading rapidly. They came to Jerusalem to worship and they wanted to see the One whom God has sent.

What a powerful example; that we need to connect those who are sincerely seeking to Jesus. But how do we show the Lord today? These verses are filled
with powerful insights into how people come to know the Lord.

Jesus’ answer gives us God’s heart for how to live a life that bears fruit to God and makes a difference in the lives of others.

I. Dying Bears Much Fruit

  • But there are two aspects of this that are important to understand. First, it speaks of His death and resurrection. In 1 Corinthians 15:36, Paul
    wrote, “That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies;”
  • Secondly, it speaks about how we should live our lives. This is what Jesus meant in verse 25, “He who loves his life (in this world) loses it;
    and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal.”
  • In other words, the way to find life is by dying, but dying to what?

A. Die to the things which are killing you

  • In verse 25, Jesus said that the one who loves his life in this world shall lose it. In other words, it’s the worldly things that are killing the
    soul.

1 John 2:15-17, Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not of the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

Luke 16:15, “God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.”

Illus – Why eat healthy? The flesh loves Snickers bars and chocolate cake with milk poured over it for breakfast. If you ate that, you would feel yucky and poison your body. The flesh also loves sexual delights, but if you gave into that, your soul would be poisoned and have no spiritual life.

  • You might say, “Man, God is such a killjoy.” Really? It’s actually quite the opposite…

John 15:11, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”

B. Bury yourself in that truth

  • Jesus said this is the key to bearing much fruit.
  • We’ve been learning a new song lately, “Lay Me Down,” that’s exactly what it means.
  • Jesus said in verse 26, “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me… If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”
  • Bury yourself in that truth. The one that follows Jesus is the one who serves Him rather than serving self. The result is that you’ll have great
    spiritual strength and a life that honors God.
  • Animals are driven by base desires; the more we allow the flesh to be in control, the more base we are.

Illus – However, even animals can demonstrate mastery over these desires. Before our daughter’s dog, Bella, can eat, she has to sit and wait. Look at how they train Arabian horses.

  • However, there is a great difference between self-denial and denial of self by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:12, All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.

Galatians 5:22-23, The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; against such things there is no law.

Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Illus – When you feel grumpy, should you do grumpy things? “I’m just being real, man,” I can hear someone say. No, you’re letting your flesh master you. Bless those around you to the glory of God and he will honor your life.

II. Don’t be a Covert Christian

  • The word ‘covert’ means secret, not openly acknowledged, clandestine or concealed.
  • There are three groups you see in this chapter. There are believers, both Jews and Greeks, seeking to worship and honor him as the Messiah.
  • There are unbelievers, those who saw so many signs performed by Jesus, yet were not believing in Him.
  • Then there are covert believers. (Verse 42) “Many even of the rulers believed in Him, but they were not confessing Him, for they loved the approval
    of men rather than the approval of God.” Why? Because they were afraid of being excommunicated.
  • Unfortunately, there are many people like that today, they are afraid of getting excommunicated by their friends; afraid of losing their friends’
    approval.
  • They are afraid their friends will look down on them if they become serious about spiritual things. Can I say something about peer pressure? You
    be the pressure; if one of my friends pressured me to do something worldly, he would get some pressure back.

A. Walk in the light of the Father

  • Jesus said in verse 32, “If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to Myself.” He was speaking of the kind of death He would die.
  • But He will draw all men to Himself because the world is in darkness and He is the light of life.
  • Some in the crowd were concerned; how could He say that? They had heard from the Law that the Messiah was to remain forever. But the scripture
    actually says that the Messiah must suffer for our sins and be cut off and then will return at the end of the age.
  • Jesus then responded, “Walk in the light, that darkness may not overtake you; he who walks in the darkest does not know where he goes.”
  • There is something very beautiful and powerful about that. I know that I know that I know where I’m going. And I know He walks with me to get there.

Illus – Jesus said, “That darkness may not overtake you.”

Have you ever been in a situation where you really needed a light? I have. That’s when you know just how valuable light is. Ever been out on a country road, get a flat, and have no light? How about when the power goes out? or when we walked through the lava caves in complete blackness.

Psalm 119:105, Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light unto my path.

John 8:31-32, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

  • Jesus said that He would draw all men to Himself. But many refused to come. Can you imagine? Jesus is right there performing so many signs, yet
    they would not believe.
  • Jesus draws all men; He knocks on the door of their heart. But for some, it only makes their heart harder. What hardens their heart? His knocking
    on the door their heart, His word they refused to hear.
  • That’s what is meant in verses 39 – 40.

Illus – When I was growing up, we lived on a gravel road. If you walk on gravel long enough, your feet get thicker and thicker. The same is true of people’s hearts, they get harder and harder.

B. Love the approval of God

2 Corinthians 5:9, Therefore, we also have as our ambition to be pleasing to Him.

Hebrews 11:6, Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

  • In verse 25 – 26, Jesus said that the one who serves The Lord and follows Him, the Father will honor him. That’s what I want and need,
    the Father to honor my life because it gives Him glory.

John 12:20-50         NASB

20 Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; 21 these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and
began to ask him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered
them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and
dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it
to life eternal. 26 If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor
him.
 
27 “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify
Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 So the crowd of people who stood by and heard
it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him.” 30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My
sake, but for your sakes. 31 Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth,
will draw all men to Myself.” 33 But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die. 34 The crowd then answered Him, “We have
heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So
Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who
walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. 36 While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” These
things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them. 
 
37 But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which
he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah
said again, 40 “He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and
be converted and I heal them.” 41 These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him. 42 Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed
in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the approval
of men rather than the approval of God.
 
44 And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. 46
I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep
them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one
who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. 49 For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent
Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. 50 I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I
speak just as the Father has told Me.”

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