John 12:44-50 - Homiletics

The responsibilities attaching to Jewish unbelief.

The evangelist now takes a retrospective glance at the unbelief of Judaism. What follows is but a summary of our Lord's past teaching.

I. MARK BY CONTRAST THE POSITION OF THE BELIEVER . "He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me."

1. The believer recognizes Jesus as the Messiah sent by the Father, as the Revelation of the Father's love and mercy and righteousness. The Jew, therefore, who believed in Christ did not believe in man, but in God.

2. He recognizes the doctrine of Jesus as the clear manifestation of the Father ' s mind . "I am come a Light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness." Thus the believer becomes a son of light.

II. MARK THE POSITION OF THE UNBELIEVER . "And if any man hear my words, and keep them not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world."

1. The fate of those who reject Christ ' s Word . It is judgment.

2. The Judge is not Christ, though he is to be the final Judge; but he will then only apply the rule of the Word to each life. The Law, in the nature of things, is the accuser.

III. MARK THE IMPORTANCE WHICH JESUS ATTACHES TO THE WORD OF JUDGMENT . "For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father who sent me has himself commanded me what I should say, and how I should say it."

1. His teaching, as to matter, is from the Father . Its essential principle is "life everlasting."

2. His teaching, as to its variety of form, is from the Father . Thus the message of mercy comes to man with every equipment of true wisdom, and bears the very accent of Heaven in its utterance.