"The Whole Book": March 2024

Thursday, March 28, 2024

#1509 John 13 Part 2 Stacy's and Hummus

21 When Jesus had said these things, He became troubled in spirit, and bore witness and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.” 22 The disciples began looking at one another, perplexed about whom He *spoke. 23 There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 So Simon Peter *gestured to him to inquire, “Who is the one of whom He is speaking?” 25 He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ bosom, *said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus *answered, “He is the one for whom I shall dip the piece of bread and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the piece of bread, He *took and *gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 And after the piece of bread, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus *said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” 28 Now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose He had said this to him. 29 For some were thinking, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, “Buy the things we have need of for the feast”; or else, that he should give something to the poor. 30 So after receiving the piece of bread, he went out immediately. And it was night.

31 Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus *said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; 32 if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. 33 Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

36 Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.” 37 Peter *said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” 38 Jesus *answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times. John 13: 21-38 LSB

John 13: 21-38

…12not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13So it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Certainly not!… Romans 9: 12-14

7 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but the chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; 8 just as it is written,

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,

Eyes to see not and ears to hear not,

Down to this very day.”

9 And David says,

“Let their table become a snare and a trap,

And a stumbling block and a retribution to them.

10 Let their eyes be darkened to see not,

And bend their backs forever.” Romans 11: 7-10

V. 21-22 One of you will betray Me - This is an important section for the disciples. The betrayal of Jesus by Judas was not a surprise to their Master. In fact, it was foretold in Holy Scripture. Let not the disciple think that they were but a stone's throw from entering the Kingdom, but then came along this one Judas who single handedly foiled God's plan. Their whole world is going to become a rather anxious place where fear will cancel everything their ears have heard over the last 3 years. Instead of sleeping in the bottom of the boat He will be lying in the grave, and they will be alone without their shepherd to turn to on the darkest days of their lives. It is important that they understand this, that this is the will of God, that God is not the author of evil, but He is sovereign over evil men. Like Joseph said to his brothers, "what you intended for evil, God intended for good." Some will say they do not see any element of the doctrine of double predestination within this passage, but I find it unavoidable, for God's sovereignty is above every matter. For me it is a matter of positive in the sense of the election of the saints, that God chose them as a matter of His good pleasure in grace to salvation, and in the case of Judas, a negative, that God did not choose him for salvation, yet chose to allow him to live, and override Judas' own evil choices unto God's good purpose. There are hyper-Calvinists who would see both as a positive action from God, but this would contradict the understanding that we distill from taking the whole counsel, yes, God makes even the wicked for the day of evil, but does he cause men to sin? Not according to His word.

…3In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; at daybreak I lay my plea before You and wait in expectation. 4For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; no evil can dwell with You. 5The boastful cannot stand in Your presence; You hate all workers of iniquity.… Psalm 5: 3-5

12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. 13When tempted, no one should say, “ God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. 14But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.… James 1: 12-14

Thursday, March 14, 2024

#1508 John 13 Part 1 Limburger Feet

Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2 And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, 4 *got up from supper, and *laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He tied it around Himself.

Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

5 Then He *poured water into the washbasin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel which He had tied around Himself. 6 So He *came to Simon Peter. He *said to Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not realize now, but you will understand afterwards.” 8 Peter *said to Him, “You will never wash my feet—ever!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9 Simon Peter *said to Him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” 10 Jesus *said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 18 I do not speak about all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.’ 19 From now on I am telling you before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives anyone I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” John 13: 1-20 LSB

John 13: 1-20

V.1 Jesus knowing that His hour had come - He has made it clear that the times are in the Father's hands, that He has not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill them, and no one takes His life, rather He gives it. The time of the cross, the time that Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 pointed to, that time had come. A thousand years before Christ came, the Psalmist penned the 22nd Psalm.

14 I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint;

my heart is like wax;

it is melted within my breast;

15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd,

and my tongue sticks to my jaws;

you lay me in the dust of death.

16 For dogs encompass me;

a company of evildoers encircles me;

they have pierced my hands and feet—

17 I can count all my bones—

they stare and gloat over me;

18 they divide my garments among them,

and for my clothing they cast lots. Psalm 22: 14-18

More from Seeing Red

Vs. 1b-4 Having loved His own who are in the world - This is about love, for God is love, and this is the revelation of that toward us. For context, from Luke we know that the disciples were also having an argument at this time about which of them would be the greatest in the kingdom. Everyone was trying to stake their claim, politic their reasoning for being elevated. Jesus, in the midst of all this, and knowing that His time had come, removes his outer garment and puts on a towel, humbling Himself to the place of a servant.

…10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness. 11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock.… John 10: 10-12

The Humility of Love. Selfless humility is the soul of love. Put it another way: only humble people love, and your capacity to love is directly related to your capacity to humble yourself. You understand that? That is a simple biblical truth and principle. Only humble people love. The humbler you are, the less interested you are in yourself, the greater your capacity to invest yourself in somebody else. They are related to one another proportionately. The lower you go in self-concern, the higher you go in concern for others. The more you sacrifice of you, the greater you will sacrifice for others.

True love, biblical love, the love that we’re talking about here is full devotion of the one who loves to the needs and well-being and blessing and joy of the one loved. Now, I understand that in the world it is possible for people to have sacrificial love for other people, to make great sacrifices and to genuinely care on a human level for someone else. But for us as believers, we are commanded to love everyone like that, everyone without regard for any returning benefit. In its purest form, biblical love is completely unselfish. That’s not true of human love. There’s a reciprocating reality there that gratifies the person who loves, but for us love in its purest form is completely unselfish. It is indifferent to personal gain. It has no concern about personal satisfaction or fulfillment.

This kind of love in its pure form is complete commitment to the joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment of others at any cost, at any point, at any sacrifice. That’s the kind of love that we are called to demonstrate. Now, Paul summed all that up by one statement, “Love seeks not its own. Love seeks not its own.” It’s not looking for what gratifies the person who loves. Love is completely indifferent to its own desires. It wants only to spend itself on others. Paul says that. - J Mac

24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. 28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Luke 22: 24-29

V. 5 Began to wash the disciple's feet - A picture is worth a thousand words or so I've heard, but there aren't words sufficient for this. Nonetheless it's a worthy meditation, think about it, you know no one who has ever stooped so low, it's impossible for you to, you don't come from that high, so you can never be so humbled. This is the King of glory, this is the Messiah, the Christ, God the Son, the purest thing to ever step foot on this planet, and He is going to wash the feet of those who are too busy arguing over preeminence to realize the moment in history that they are now living in. They are about to witness the time, the event that all else hangs on, rides on, a humiliation of the grandest scale, and He starts it out here with them. They haven't yet grasped His becoming human, being born in a manger, that He was fashioned in the sort of humility that we should want to wear. The sinless One is about to become the sacrifice to save sinners. This is not the kind of acts we associate with royalty, yet He is so far above any earthly ruler.

V. 8 You will never wash my feet - ever - Simon makes a great point here, there is something so other worldly, so out of place about this, the order seems wrong. I think if Jesus would have asked Simon to wash His feet he would have jumped to the task, but there is a tension they have here with each other, and I think there would have been some grumbling and resentment about washing each other's feet, especially when they were all having visions of grandeur. I have known many people that say their gift is teaching, so they don't show up when it's time to help a widow whose yard is out of control or needs a ride to the doctor. They like the spotlight, not the dirty feet, that's just not their thing.

V. 8b If I do not wash your feet you have no part with Me - There is a huge spiritual principal that moralist miss here, that they need to be washed, regenerated. No one comes to the Father, no one is made right with God without this cleansing.

…4But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 6This is the Spirit He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,… Titus 3: 4-6

V. 9 But also my hands and my head - He has believed in Christ. Peter knows Him to be the one with the words of eternal life, and he does not want to be separated from Him. He is quick to speak, his thoughts just sort of pour out of his mouth, but there is a genuine growing love for out Lord.

V. 10 He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet - This is such a powerful verse here, I think if I was Peter I would have gotten the next lines done in a tattoo.

V. 10b And you are clean - To hear that from Jesus, "You Are Clean". That would play over and over in my head every day. That should make you run quickly to the throne of grace, you are saved because of what Christ is doing by being the spotless Lamb, and yes, it doesn't seem fitting for Him to wash your feet considering even the little you know about your state as a sinner, but there's no other way. You are saved based upon your believing in Him Who was sent from above, and you are saved because of His willingness to suffer far more humiliation than this foot washing, this will go all the way to the cross. The cross makes us clean, we are washed in the blood of Christ, and the foot washing is the realization that we are still walking in the filth of this world, that we still, in these bodies, sin, and we need to repent. This is sanctification, this is the Christian life, you don't lose your salvation, but you desire more and more to be clean, and you run to Jesus about the dirt, you don't want to remain contaminated.

What did Jesus mean when He said, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me”? Well, He was not out of the illustration and into the reality. He was talking about the need that Peter had to be spiritually cleansed. He needed what Ezekiel promised in the New Covenant: the washing, the washing. He needed what Paul wrote to Titus about; the washing of regeneration. He needed spiritual cleansing, and Christ was condescending, humiliating Himself, going all the way to the cross to provide the means of that spiritual cleansing.

Peter, you can’t stop this humiliation. I’m going all the way down, past foot washing, way past foot washing to the cross. You have to accept it. You have to accept My humiliation, all the way down to the cross because that is the only way you will be cleansed. That is the means of your cleansing. Peter was already saved by what Christ had not yet done and wouldn’t do until the next couple of days, but it had already been applied to him, as to all Old Testament believers.

So Jesus says, “Nobody has a safe relationship with God unless that person has been cleansed by Jesus. If I don’t wash you, if I don’t wash you, you have no part with Me.” Let me expand that a little. There is no salvation in any other name than the name of Jesus Christ. There is no forgiveness, no washing from sin, no redemption other than through Christ. “No man comes to the Father, but by Me.” “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

“You want to have a relationship with God? It comes through Me. If I don’t cleanse you, you are not clean. You have no part with Me. The only salvation is through Jesus Christ.” So our Lord goes from this simple act to draw the spiritual truth, to lay it down for all generations including us. Well, when He said that, obviously, Peter wanted the full treatment. Jesus follows up on this spiritual truth in verse 10. Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed, needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean and you are clean.”

You don’t need another bath. They would have bathed in the morning when they left probably Bethany, staying maybe with Martha and Lazarus, Mary. They would have left and walked all the way to whatever went on that day, and then finally to the upper room. They didn’t need a bath. They just needed their feet washed. This is so magnificent. He’s saying, “Peter, you don’t need salvation. You just need some clean-up. You are clean.” I want you to look at that. - J Mac

…8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.… 1 John 1: 8-10

V. 11 Not all of you are clean - Judas has traveled so far with Jesus, but he is about to do the unthinkable.

There was one unsaved person there, and our Lord makes clear that He says that. “You are clean, you men, but not all of you.” What an incredible moment to hear that your salvation is valid. You say, how do I know my salvation is valid? I read it to you in 1 John, because you confessed Jesus is the Christ, because you love God, because you obey His commands, and because you love one another. That’s the evidence. That’s the evidence. You’ve been bathed. You’re clean. You don’t need to be cleaned again. You just need periodic foot washing. Well, what does that mean? - J Mac

Vs. 12-15 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher - Technically He is the Lord, King of kings, and that title makes us the servants. Those who obey Him as Lord will know Him as Savior, but He is also the teacher, there is none greater. In the end every knee will bow because He sits above the heavens, has made everything, even those that now deny Him. But look at His teaching, it makes me taste vomit in my mouth when I think of those who go into "ministry" to be touted, to be served. Look at the Savior, you are nothing like Him, where is your humility. He has just put His disciples in check, "I am the Lord, I am the teacher, this is the example I set before you". If I am His student, really His servant, then this is Who I must imitate. Not for show like at summer camp when they have us wash feet as we are giggling or like these silly hipster churches. This was an every day reality for people who walked dusty roads in sandals and reclined sideways at the table. Your feet were next to your neighbor, not hid under the table, and they probably stunk. Man there are so many layers here, can you handle someone at church coming and telling you about your stinky walk, that they can see where you've been by looking at your feet and they want to help you get clean?

V. 16 A slave is not greater than his master - If you can't humbly look to the needs of others like Christ did, then you are saying that you are above Him. You are like Judas, this is as far as you will make it, and then it's going to set in, "I don't want this, it's the diva life for me, I am a little god, people should be falling over themselves and paying a lot of money to be anywhere near me." Judas doesn't want to be a slave of Christ; he wants to be held up high, and he will hang himself over it. Be meek and lowly, be quiet and gentle, have the sort of countenance that brings peace because it doesn't need to be made much of.

…27and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave— 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” 29As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him.… Matthew 20: 27-29

V. 18 I know the ones I have chosen - This is always a difficult one for people, they always think it was their original idea, their weighing out of options, but Jesus tells His disciples:

…15No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit— fruit that will remain— so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. 17This is My command to you: Love one another.… John 15: 15-17

V. 19 So that when it does occur - He had just wrapped up verse 18 with a quote of a prophecy from the Psalms.

V. 20 He who receives anyone I send receives Me - Not everyone will want to hear the message, but there will be some, and you and I are only responsible to do what we see Christ doing, not to change men's hearts. We need to know this simple gospel, as He has spelled it out for His disciples over and over again. We need to be humble enough not to get in the way of the gospel, and realize that we can never stoop so far down as our Lord. Love those He sent, pray for them, pray that their feet stay clean and that they don't say or live contrary to God's word.

Saturday, March 9, 2024

#1507 John 12 Part 3 Angels and Thunder Claps

27 “Now My soul has become dismayed; 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 from 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 sake. 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 about to die. 34 The crowd then answered Him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ is to remain forever; and how do 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 done so many signs before them, they still were not believing in Him, 38 so that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, 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, lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and return and I heal them.” 41 These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke about 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 glory of men rather than the glory 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 And 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 And if anyone hears My words 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 words, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him on the last day. 49 For I did not speak from Myself, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.” John 12: 27-50 LSB

John 12: 27-50

V. 27 Now My soul has become dismayed - The past chapters have given much insight into the heart of our Lord, and we have seen early on a sense of community even within the members of the Godhead, but also here in Christ's humanity we have seen Him hurt with those who hurt. He felt the pain of Martha and Mary over their brother, as well as His own sorrow for His friend Lazarus. Men try to relate to God in the dumbest of fashions, making gods that are just like sinful man, but where the divine has entered our realm, taken up a body, knit itself together with humanity, He has remained pure and sincere in every experience. Christ felt sorrow, felt grief, felt the ever looming reality of the cross which shadowed the manger.

Spurgeon - There was a conflict in the Saviour’s heart, — the weakness of his true manhood — striving with the strength of his infinite affection to his people, and also to his Father. We must never forget that He “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” If it had been no pain to him to die as the Substitute for sinners, there would have been no atoning sacrifice in his death; and if no dread had overtaken him at the thought of death, it would have proved that he did not die as we do; and, therefore, he would not have been able to take our place as he did. Notice how the Saviour speaks of the struggle that was going on in his soul. “What shall I say?” Do you ever have to ask that question when you are trying to pray? If so, do not be astonished, for even your Lord and Master said the same. “What shall I say?” — as if he paused to consider what form his prayer should take, — “shall I say, Father save me from this hour? No; but I will say, For this cause came I unto this hour.”.....Nature suggests the cry, “Father, save me from this hour.” Grace comes behind the flesh, being a little slower to speak; but it corrects the errors of the flesh, and says, “For this cause came I unto this hour.”......This seems to be a sort of rehearsal of the dread scene soon to be enacted in Gethsemane. At the sight of these Greeks, our Saviour seems to have been led specially to think, as we have already said, of that death by which they, and multitudes like them were to be redeemed. Thinking of it, he enters so fully into it, by a sort of foretaste, that he feels something of the same shiver and throe of anguish which came upon him in Gethsemane. He seems to say here, “Father, save me from this hour,” just as he said there, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” Yet he says here, “But for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name,” — just as he afterwards said in the garden, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.” - C. H. Spurgeon from PA

41 And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Luke 22: 41-44

More on Luke 22

V. 28 "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again" - He promised His Son as far back as Genesis, and here He is, the Seed of the woman, but He has also promised Him as the atonement for sin. The eternal God has identified Himself as Holy, and that means set apart, not just from His creation as being above all, but also without sin, eternally opposed to it. This He demonstrates to the glory of His own name, His honor, in the destruction of the whole world at the flood. He is also merciful, in that 8 people of the whole of mankind, at that time, are spared.

Lowell Johnson - How did Jesus glorify the Father through His death on the cross?

1. The cross demonstrates the Father's holiness because it shows that sin is contrary to His holy character.

2. The cross demonstrates the Father's justice because it shows the Father's just character demands that sin be paid for.

3. The cross demonstrates the Father's wrath because it pleased the Lord to bruise His Son – Isa. 53:10

4. The cross demonstrates the Father's love because He was willing to give His Son to die on our behalf.

5. The cross demonstrates the Father's mercy because on the cross His son bore our griefs and sorrows so we would not perish.

6. The cross demonstrates the Father's amazing grace because as many as receive Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God.

7. The cross glorifies the Father because it will resound in His eternal praise. - PA

1Of David. I give You thanks with all my heart; before the gods I sing Your praises. 2I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your loving devotion and Your faithfulness; You have exalted Your name and Your word above all else. 3On the day I called, You answered me; You emboldened me and strengthened my soul.… Psalm 138: 1-3

Kruse says "God was glorified in the hour of Jesus’ death because then the grace of God was most clearly seen. The glory of God is his character, full of grace, and he is glorified when his character is revealed (cf. Exod. 34:5–8). (BORROW The Gospel According to John) - PA

V. 29-30 This voice has not come for My sake - This is the second public hearing of the Father's voice from heaven. The first instance was at His baptism, the start of His ministry, the Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove and the Father spoke from heaven saying, "this is My beloved Son" introducing the Landowner's Son, for the prophets had already come with the message to repent. Some of the disciples will hear this voice again. It is interesting the different takes that the crowd has on this, and thinking back to Moses, the people didn't want to hear God's voice back then.

Steven Cole - But it’s no different today: God has spoken clearly through His Word, giving testimony to Jesus as the only Savior. Yet some explain Christianity in completely naturalistic terms, like those who said that it thundered, while others launch off into mystical spirituality, like those who said that an angel had spoken to Jesus. But both sides miss God’s testimony to His Son. They don’t have spiritual ears to hear spiritual truth, even when God speaks clearly. (Christ Lifted Up ) - PA

18When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sounding of the ram’s horn, and the mountain enveloped in smoke, they trembled and stood at a distance. 19“Speak to us yourself and we will listen,” they said to Moses. “But do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” 20“Do not be afraid,” Moses replied. “For God has come to test you, so that the fear of Him may be before you, to keep you from sinning.”… Exodus 20: 18-20

V. 31 Now judgment is upon this world - The world is fallen in sin, and the deed to this world is in the hand of Lucifer, he is the prince of darkness, of light being cast out of heaven, turning sight to blindness and hearing to deaf. Men do not accept the explanation of their state, they hate the voice of God and prefer the darkness because their deeds are evil. My greatest motivation to be an atheist was to not have to answer to God, to embrace the seeming warmth of a life without moral restitution. "It's my life, it's my life", I raged, as though I had created it. I am now beholding to God not only for being born, but for being born again. He is calling them to repent here, light is here right now, but only for a little while.

Grant Osborne explains Jesus as bringing judgment upon this world because "as the living revealer (the “Word”) of God, he encounters every person at the deepest part of their being and forces them to a decision. That decision determines their destiny. For those who believe, he becomes Savior (Jn 4:42), but for those who reject him, he becomes judge. The world is characterized by rejection and rebellion (Jn 1:10), and so it is judged. This is the great irony: at the Cross, Jew and Gentile united in judging Jesus, while in reality they were being judged by Jesus!" (See The Gospel of John) - PA

…3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.… 2 Corinthians 4: 3-5

V. 32-34 If I am lifted up from the earth - John gives us the meaning, no speculation here. This indicates that Christ is going to die, and the crowd seems to understand this as death or separation as well because their eschatology sees the Messiah coming and reigning forever, not dying, so they question it. Isaiah, the Psalms, Daniel, the temple sacrifices and the ram in the thicket are examples they could draw upon for a clearer picture, but that's not the story they want. It does us no good to take God in part, for that is a different god, and without the whole counsel we are telling a very different story, one based solely upon want and imagination.

22If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is executed, and you hang his body on a tree, 23you must not leave the body on the tree overnight, but you must be sure to bury him that day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. Deuteronomy 21: 22-23

…12And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.… 2 Samuel 7: 12-14

…6For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this. Isaiah 9: 6-7

…13In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. 14And He was given dominion, glory, and kingship, that the people of every nation and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. Daniel 7: 13-14

V. 35-36 While you have the light - He is again asking them to repent of their unbelief. I think Lordship is the problem in view, and I see it in HD in my day, people demand that God honor their autonomy. We would like to think that we can place demands upon God, "do this and I will believe in You." A stupid game to play when He has said of old, I will send the Seed of the woman, the devil will bruise His heel but He will crust Satan's head, and here He is on His way to the cross as promised. He claims to be the resurrection and the life, and He raises Lazarus. God promised a Messiah from the line of David, and Christ is the perfection of that pedigree. God says what He is going to do and does it hundreds and thousands of years later, and things that men just can't do. It is a story impossible to duplicate, with many writers spread over a vast time, consistent in it's message of redemption and without any competition to it's miracles. Their light is fading, their chance, your chance to see Him, but here He is and they don't want to see Him, they beg for the darkness to overtake them.

7Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice, 8do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness, 9where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw My works.… Hebrews 3: 7-9

V. 37-43 They loved the glory of men rather than the glory of God - They clung on to what was dying. The time of men is fading, death and judgment are all they hold, that is all that their smile calls you to, it's the embrace of outer darkness, warm as it may feel right now, it's all but a sack of bones, rot and decay in the end. Remember the blind man's parents, they were afraid of getting kicked out of synagogue. What's your excuse? Will they kick you out of the young Darwinians, say that you worship the spaghetti monster in the sky? For some that's all it takes, just one person who has learned to say something with an err of confidence, and you will fold up at their feet. What if your church quits following Christ and worries more about the comforts of this world the ideologies of the dying? Will you stand up or will you follow along?

V. 44-50 He who believes in Me - This goes back to "I and the Father are One, and if you have seen Me you have seen the Father. This is paramount, you can't refuse Jesus without refusing God.

14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.… Colossians 1: 14-16