R267 An Incredible Prediction

God has an encouraging word for you and me today to the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton in a message called an incredible prediction as we study the word together. Know that we are for you. Connecting online at tewonline.org G that's DEW online.org available 24 seven. Talk listener pride now Dr. Don Wilton join with me in your Bibles this morning to John's gospel chapter 12. By now I'm sure that some of your Bibles are just going to automatically follow John's Gospel. If you are a guest with us today.

We are doing a series through this incredible gospel in the New Testament subject this morning is an incredible prediction. I've heard many predictions made in my life and I'm sure you have heard the sign I'm going to submit to you today that the greatest prediction that was ever made was the one that we are going to find recorded herein. John chapter 12 and from verse 23 verse 28.

Now they were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast and that feast of course, was the feast of the boss over.

This was the time of preparation, the time at which Jesus was going to be crucified. They came to Philip, who was from bedside in Galilee with a request sir. They say we would like to see Jesus so Philip went to tell and and Andrew and Philip in turn went to tell Jesus that doesn't take much for Chad to see the probably. There was a train of Kaman going to think it must've been very difficult to have seen Jesus because he was so much surrounded by black people in those days who followed him in great numbers so they went to Philip. Philip went to Andrew and Andrew and Philip in turn went to the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 23 Jesus replied the is come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth unless a kernel of wheat. The ground and dies, it remains only a single scene, but if it dies, it produces many seeds, the man who loves his life will lose it. While the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am, my servant also will be my father will honor the one who serves me. Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say father, save me from this know it was for this very reason that I came to this father, glorify your name. May the Lord write these precious word upon our hearts and incredible prediction. It seems to me, ladies and gentlemen that we find ourselves at a staggering moment in human history. We are standing on the verge on the precipice, if you please. Of probably the greatest and most life-changing event that was ever to occur in the history of mankind in here) John chapter 12 Jesus interacting with those who were closest to him simply predicts his day, but something remarkable begins to happen as I was studying this passage and as you and I have been trying to discover what God would have us to learn. It seems to me that there are two fundamental issues that we need to look at related to what happened here in order to understand the incredible prediction that the Lord Jesus Christ was making number one we going to look at an incredible question and then number two we going to look at an incredible reply to that question and some of you going to say I cannot believe Dr. Wilkins I got two points to the something must've happened. This is incredible is not we going to look at it in two ways. Today number one and I want you to know each one of my points is 10 points on number one number one we going to look at an incredible question number two we going to try and understand this prediction of the Lord Jesus Christ by looking more closely at an incredible reply that the Lord Jesus made so first of all, and incredible question. Isn't that the most remarkable question that anybody could lost it's right there in verse 21.

They came to these two with the request and they said, sir, we would see the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm going to suggest to you, something remarkable here.

Did you notice that the people who claim with this incredible question when a group of people that the Bible calls Greeks. Now the New Testament the word day in the Greek New Testament the word there is Hellenistic Greek, they would learn as the as the handling and in fact what we know about the headlands. My friends is that they Hellenistic Greeks with Greek speaking Gentiles rather than Greek speaking Jews. These were people who were not Jewish people.

They were Gentile people and and historians tell us very clearly that the Greek speaking Gentiles represented the world outside and around about Palestine rather than the world directly related to the world that was interacting with the Lord Jesus Christ. Here in Jerusalem. In fact, I'm going to show you this morning that because they were the Hellenistic Greek speaking Gentiles.

They represented the almost crowd wanted dubious kind of statement to make about a group of people. They were the almost crowd you remember in the acts of the apostles Paul spoke to a man who was a kingdom. He said Tim King Agrippa, I want to tell you about this one, whose name is the Lord Jesus Christ and I want to give to you an opportunity to give your heart and soul to the Lord Jesus Christ and King Agrippa said to most thou persuaders me to become a Christian.

These Greeks care who were beginning to circulate and surround the events of Jerusalem at the time of the crucifixion. These were the all most proud why because they were gone. Fearing Gentiles who were attracted by the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ were not yet ready to make a complete handing over of their lives to him. Have you ever met someone like that I meet people from time to time over the years who would say to me, pasta.

I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. I know that he came to save the world. I know that I can only have life in him. I know that he died upon the cross. I know that he was the greatest person that ever lived, but I want you to know pasta that I'm not yet ready to give my heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. They were the almost crowd the tragedy of the almost crowd, my friend, is that the Bible says it is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgment and these people were verging on the precipice of being almost as far as this commitment was concerned and yet there was tremendous significance in the way in which these people began to gather around the temple courts as they were want to do. You see, they were allowed into the Gentile area which was a an area that was reserved for the Gentiles in the temple of the Jewish people and so the question that we have to ask ourselves is this why then, did these Greeks lost such an incredible question sir, we would see Jesus well. Perhaps they were asking that question because they had heard about Jesus. There is no doubt about that.

They rub shoulders with him. Historians tell us that they were Greek speaking Gentiles in the known world. They represented the broader world of Palestine. They had heard about the remarkable work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as in almost all certainty there all those who have come to worship us today. We have heard about this one: Jesus died, not any heard about them, but they'd seen it is no doubt about that. They had followed him. These were the part of the crowd. These were the people who hung on the periphery of society. These were the people who were the onlookers. These were the people who were never given the privilege of being part of the machinery of those who surrounded the King of Kings and Lord of lords, but they not only heard about Jesus. They saw what he was doing, but I'm going to suggest to you in the third place but perhaps layoffs this incredible question because they felt the impact of what Jesus had done you can go back into the earlier chapters of John and read about it for yourself. You can go back into Mark's gospel and chapter 11 verses 15 through 17, and you can read there for yourself that dramatic encounter, how that Jesus Christ came into the court of the Temple and he found the money changers sitting. The Bible says that he made a whip of small cords and he drove them out of the place and he said make not my father's house a house of merchandise and I could just imagine the goosebumps that were running up and down the backs of these people.

I can just imagine the fear that gripped their souls as they were confronted by the righteous indignation of the son of the living God may I submit to you today. They are asked this question because they had the impact of what Jesus was all about. So the question we have to ask ourselves then is why was there?

See if you read this text very clearly there's nothing in this text that said that Jesus said okay I don't have an interview with them. Jesus just simply gave to his disciples Alonso, but I'm going to say to you, my friend, that the Lord Jesus Christ.

These disciples of these these security agents. They went to him and they said Tim, sir, there's a group of Gentiles who want to see Jesus said I'm not going to block the request. There is nothing in Scripture that gives us any indication that Jesus actually met with these people at this juncture, and I began to wrestle with the snobby get off myself, why would Jesus not me directly.

Why did he just suddenly begin to give an incredible reply.

Maybe there are two reasons for that number one because they were Gentiles to see my friends. The whole purpose and the intent as to why Jesus came and died upon the cross, was that he was going to break down barriers. That is why the apostle Paul was able to say later on at the institution of the New Testament church. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither male nor female. Neither bond nor free because we are all one in Christ Jesus Jesus Christ the son of the living God upon the cross and broke down every man made barrier that we might have concocted in our own mind. I don't believe that Jesus denied the request because of them. I believe Jesus denied the request because of the disciples to Austin. These disciples where the Jews. These disciples were limited in their human understanding these disciples wouldn't have been able to understand that Jesus would've crossed over that area like he tried to teach with his encounter with the Samaritan woman they wouldn't of been able to understand that this march down the highway to the cross was in order to fulfill the fact that God so love the world that he gave his only begotten son that who so ever believes in him should not die but should have eternal life. They couldn't understand and Jesus the man of compassion.

Jesus, the God man, Jesus the God who became man. The man who took upon himself the sin of the world, even though he knew no sin. I believe that Jesus denied their request, not because of the Gentiles, but because of a lack of understanding on the part of the June. Maybe there's a second reason why he denied the request. Perhaps it was because they had Lazarus. Perhaps it was because they had Lazarus perhaps what Jesus was trying to say to these Greeks was. You don't need to see me you got Lazarus remember what happened in move in and John chapter 11. Remember how that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and perhaps what Jesus was saying is simply this, that the life that Lazarus was living was an impossible life only made possible by the fact that it was an imparted line what Jesus was saying to these Jews.

He was saying to them, you need to see me.

You have got a public demonstration of the life of Christ living and flowing through this one Lazarus who are raised from the day as I began to study that passage my own heart was deeply moved. As I began to realize that perhaps I'm the only Bible that some people are able going to read. As I began to realize that perhaps I'm the only Jesus that some people are going to see. And Jesus winning at these Greeks and Winnie Eppinger at the Gentiles. Perhaps what Jesus was seeing was the world mission of Christ Jesus beginning to come alive. He denied the request. Paul put it like this in Galatians chapter 2 and verse 24 said to the church at Galatia. I have been crucified with Christ.

Nevertheless, I no longer live, but Christ lives in me is not tremendous pop-up. Jesus was saying to these Gentiles. I'm not going to give you access because I'm going to confuse people who don't need to be confused but I'm also not going to give you access right now. Prior to my death because you have got Lazarus why don't you look at him. He's the one you need to see the demonstration of the public and private power of the Lord Jesus Christ. What an incredible question sir, sir, we would see Jesus then let's note the incredible reply, Jesus was saying three things to them as he spoke through his disciples as he spoke through those who were closest to Jesus said three things in reply to this question sir, we would see Jesus number one.

Jesus was saying that Jesus he would be glorified that Jesus be glorified. Look amid verse 23 the hours, for the Son of Man to be glorified. These Jews that surrounded him had rejected him.

Now, perhaps in these Gentiles and arising out of this question as the barriers began to break down at the foot of the cross, Jesus was talking about the fact that he would be glorified. Why for suggestions. Your number one ready for this. Number one he would be glorified in that these Gentiles were the vanguard of an enormous number of people all over the world who would be called out to serve him we going to see that in a few verses down there in verse 26 perhaps Jesus would be glorified. Why, because these Gentiles. These Greeks who claim with us? These Greeks who tried to rock the boat. These Greeks who tried to straighten the treasury. These Greeks and try to upset the status quo and penetrate the religious world and order of the day they came to represent the vanguard of an enormous number of people. The number is as of the sand of the sea, from sea to shining sea from every conflict in every tribe and every nation and every tongue who would be called out number two Jesus would be glorified in that he saw that thousands of people would not only be ransomed but they would be restored and reconciled through the blood of Jesus Christ shed upon the cross. Number three.

He would be glorified in that Jesus understood that as result of the cross thousands of people would have their names written in the Lamb's book of life so that you can know that you know that you know beyond any shadow of a God that when you die ordered Jesus were to come again that you would be transported by the Angels to be seated at the feast table of the king.

Please forgive the corruption. Such exciting news to look forward to. If we know that we belong to Jesus as we are going through God's word together. Sometimes there are questions that come to mind. If you'd like to have someone discover the answers together with you and God's word.

Paulus 866-899-WORD is the phone number available 24 hours a day. We love to pray with you and for you. That's 866-899-9673 or online@twonline.org that activates teaching with Dr. Donald but is a false possible reason. I believe that what Jesus was saying that the Son of Man is to be glorified is that thousands of voices would be raised in praise and worship to him. What a tremendous thing. The plaintiffs by lift up your voices be worn during the previous month because the usual is with you and he will keep the tremendous praise and if we look at just one choir.

Can you imagine what the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords soul as he stood there and said that the Son of Man is going to be glorified.

You don't need to see me. You need to know that my mission is that you are going to go to Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the outermost parts of the earth, and that thousands upon thousands upon millions of voices are going to be raised in praise and glory to the name which is above every name what was this incredible reply number one the Jesus be glorified. Number two that Jesus be crucified that Jesus be crucified. Look at verse 24.

The Bible says Jesus said, I tell you the truth unless a kernel of wheat.

The ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. The Greek word for Col. is called cross KOKKOS direct translation car costs. By the way, that would come across is very interesting because the word car costs in its root meaning is the absolute basic inner soul of the sea means the very functional character of the sea means the only part of the sea that has any potential to do anything outside of itself. That's what the word Holocaust means and what Jesus was saying here he was saying. My friends my incredible replies. Not only that Jesus be glorified. But that Jesus will be crucified, and by so doing he was referring to that wonderful process of Christian discipleship. What was use the analogy of the seed.

The car costs and it is a three-point processing discipleship. First of all, it involves the process of day.

Bible says that the seed has not only to be put down. But it's got to die. It's got to die. Secondly, it's got to be very it can't just lie around on top trying to look important. It has to be put underneath the ground just as Jesus was putting the two peas body was prepared for burial. He was taken and he was put in the grave, but the third processing discipleship is the glorious resurrection. You see the glorious resurrection. My friend is the raising of Jesus Christ to walk in newness of life. And Jesus came up out of the grave as we celebrate on resurrection Sunday and what Jesus was saying to these disciples are yes sir they come to me with an incredible question, but if you want to hear an incredible reply. All this is about the fact number one that Jesus be glorified.

This is about number two. The fact that Jesus be crucified.

Number three. All of this is about the fact that Jesus be multiplied that Jesus be multiplied. It's right there in the second part of verse 24 is what Jesus says, he says, but if it dies, it produces how many scenes many scenes he put it like this in another way. Jesus said if any man any woman anymore. Any girl would want to come off to me. He or she must deny himself must take up his cross, and how do you take up a cross. You only take up a cross by dying to self, you must deny yourself, you must take up your cross and then you must follow after me and what Jesus was saying here. To these people is that the visit of the Greeks and the Gentiles around the hallowed area of these Jewish root leaders was symbolical of the enormity of the harvest of souls and biblical discipleship that lay ahead for people throughout the ages until the Lord Jesus Christ comes again. It's interesting for us to note in acts chapter 11 in verse 20 that some of the first work done in the New Testament church was done by Paul in the church at Antioch among the Greeks. Many of Paul's missionary journeys. Focusing among the Gentiles in the Greeks. In essence, beloved friends. Jesus was saying three things number one number one.

All of this I believe revolved around three things. Number one is in verse 24 that this is the only way to live, you want to have eternal life. You gotta be willing to die in Christ. The second thing that Jesus was saying is in verse 25. Anything to do with self is null and void in Christian discipleship, but there was 1/3 thing Jesus Messiah Garrett is that service Christian service must follow salvation Christian service must follow salvation. Jesus was saying evangelism is incomplete until the evangelized become the evangelists right there in verse 26 my father rewards those who serve him. Sometimes it's hard to know are we the evangelized or the evangelist by now. I just pray that we just be honest with ourselves as Dr. Don comes in the studio and she was perhaps the most important thoughts of the day.

Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that Iversen and I know that Jesus died for me today. I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart. In Jesus name, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting news. If you just prayed to receive Christ along with Dr. Wilton while ago. Maybe we dedicated your life. I pray that you know we love to move forward with you to pray with you to give your resources, give us a call to send them to you. 866-899-WORD's the phone number 86689996734 me this online as well that TW online.org that's TW online.org. The great place to find resources like this, Jesus said you are the light of the world gives us so many opportunities to share the gospel today.

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