His Command Is Eternal Life – John 12:37-50

The Holy of Holies, or the Holiest Place, in the Tabernacle and the Temple, was the room at the back of each that contained the ark of the covenant with the gold cherubim on top of it, overshadowing the mercy seat.  The mercy seat was a representation of the throne of God where the blood of the sacrifice would be sprinkled to atone for sin and purchase mercy.  Isaiah had a vision, when God called him to ministry, of the Holiest Place and God Himself in that room with a robe so long and full that it filled the room, and actual seraphim (angels) were declaring, “Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3).  John says Isaiah was actually seeing Jesus in this vision.

Even though he had performed so many signs in front of them, they did not believe in him, in order that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled when he said, “Lord, who has believed our report?  And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”  For this reason they are not able to believe, because again Isaiah said, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, that they might not see with their eyes and understand with their hearts, and so turn and I would heal them.”

Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke about him.  Despite this many of the rulers believed in him, but on account of the Pharisees they did not confess him, so they wouldn’t be dismissed from the synagogue.  They loved the praise of men rather than the praise of God.

Now Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me, believes not only in me but in the One who sent me.  And whoever sees me sees the One who sent me.  I am the light come into the world, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in the darkness.  And if anyone hears me and does not keep my words, I will not judge him.  I didn’t come in order to judge the world but that I might save the world.  Whoever rejects me and does not receive my words, has something that judges him.  The word I have spoken, that will judge him at the last day.  Because I don’t speak from myself, but the One who sent me, the Father, He has given me a command, what to say and what to speak.  And I know that His command is eternal life.  So whatever I speak, I speak as the Father has spoken to me.”  (John 12:37-50)

The apostle John helps us interpret the general rejection of Jesus as Messiah by citing Isaiah, who registers astonishment at Israel’s unbelief and explains it as Yahweh hardening their hearts in judgment. 

Isaiah, John tells us, had seen Jesus’ glory.  He must be speaking about the vision recorded in Isaiah 6, of Yahweh high and lifted up in the temple with his robe filling the holiest place and the angels repeating “Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh Almighty.”  Israel did not acknowledge Yahweh in His glory then and did not acknowledge it now in the person of Jesus.  But for John to say this is yet another clear declaration in his Gospel that Jesus is God.  Jesus can be identified with Yahweh in Isaiah 6.

Despite the disbelief predicted by Isaiah, Jesus, nevertheless, still offers his invitation to believe in him and in so doing to believe in the One who sent him to be a light in the darkness.  He also warns that if they do not believe they will be judged on the last day, the day of final reckoning when he comes in his kingdom.  Though Jesus is Yahweh, is deity, within the Triune God there is a line of authority.  Jesus does whatever the Father tells him.  Right now, Jesus is not judging but saving.  In the future that will be reversed.

Discussion Questions

1. What miracles do you believe you have experienced?  Did they give you evidence for the truth of Christianity?
2. What do you make of God seemingly keeping people from believing?
3. Are the rulers who believed really believers?  Why or why not?
4. John identifies Jesus as God, but it seems Jesus identifies himself as God.  Do you see how?
5. Jesus claims major authority for his words.  How will they, at the last day, judge people who don’t believe?
6. Why do you think you believed in Jesus?