The Glory of the Cross

Have you ever asked yourself: Why the cross?  Why is the cross the central symbol of Christianity?  Why not the manger depicting Christ’s humble birth? Or a stone symbolizing Jesus’ resurrection?  Why not a dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit?  Or a crown symbolizing Jesus as King? Why the cross?  After all, the cross wasn’t always the universal symbol of Christianity.

Early on the cross was actually avoided for its direct association with Jesus, and for its shameful association with the execution of common criminals.  In fact, since the early Christians were persecuted for following Jesus, their earliest symbols found on the walls and ceilings of the catacombs were paintings of a peacock (symbolizing immortality), a dove, the athlete’s victory palm and in particular “a fish.”  You see, only the initiated (only genuine Christ followers) would know that the Greek word “ichthus” was an acronym for Jesus.  The acronym was actually: Jesus Christos Theou Huios Soter (Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior).  It wasn’t until the second century that Christians not only drew, painted, and engraved the cross as a symbol of their faith, but also began making the sign of the cross by tracing it on their foreheads communicating to others that they belonged to Jesus.  And ever since then the cross has remained the central symbol of Christianity.  But why the cross?  Why is the cross the central symbol of Christianity?  Why is the cross so important to us?

Well, as we return to the story of Jesus in the Gospel of John, we’re about to see how Jesus lays out the importance of the cross in His bringing glory to the Father, and why the cross isn’t just important to us, but to everyone who might ever hear the message of the cross.   So, if you have your Bible with you today, let me encourage you to open it to John 12:27-36  and let’s begin by looking at the glory of the cross and why it was so important to Jesus and to everyone who might ever hear the message of the cross.

The Glory of the Cross “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” John 12:27-28

Now, if you were here last week, we learned from Jesus what was most important to Him. The defining motivation in Jesus’ life was to please the Father in whatever He said and whatever He did.  That’s why when Jesus became one of us, he emptied himself of all His divine power and privilege.  He let go of everything he might possibly use to gain an advantage in this world and took upon Himself the form of a servant, so that He might live in complete obedience to the Father’s will. He literally became nothing, so He could make everything of the Father. That’s what it means to bring glory to God.

It means to live a life so selfless, that your entire focus of your life is about enhancing the reputation of the Father.  This is something you cannot do that when you are full of yourself.  For when you are full of yourself, you’re only fixated on what makes you look good, not on what might make God look good.  That’s really what it means to glorify someone. That’s what this word “Glorify” is getting at. The Greek root of this word is doxa, which speaks of brightness, beauty or fame.  One helpful way to think of this word is to substitute the word “spotlight.”  Jesus consciously lived to shine the spotlight on the Father, not on himself.  That’s what a servant does.  There is nothing about a servant that seeks attention for himself.  A servant always lives to shine the spotlight on others.  And Jesus always shined the spotlight on the beauty of the Father.

Now, in taking the time to grasp this concept of glorifying God, we can better understand what Jesus is saying, when he says, “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”  In the verses previous to this Jesus realized with the request of some Greeks the hour had come for Him to complete his mission. The time had come for Him to die on the cross for the sins of the world.

And with this realization, Jesus’ soul was now “troubled.” This verb gives us a powerful description of what his impending death was stirring up in his soul. This word “troubled” was used to explain someone who is in shock, someone who is experiencing nausea and even horror at what’s about to take place in their life.  Jesus was experiencing trauma in the depth of his soul.  For Jesus was fully aware of the humiliation, pain, anguish, and suffering that he was about to experience at the cross.  Here may be one of the most fully human moments Jesus ever experienced.  Many liken this moment to what the other gospel writers recorded about Jesus’ anguish in the garden of Gethsemane.  But does Jesus let his emotions get the best of him?

No, immediately, he says, “and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? No, If was for this very reason I came to this hour.  Father, glorify your name.”  Don’t miss this. Don’t miss the crux of this moment.  Jesus is not swayed by how he feels.  Jesus is swayed by whom He loves.  At the very moment when he is most tempted to bail on the Father’s plan, He cries out to the Father: “Father, glorify your name.”  There is no greater prayer.

You see, it is easy to live for God when life is good.  I’s easy to praise God when everything’s going your way.  It’s easy to give God the glory when you are winning at life. But will you seek the Father’s glory in your darkest moments?

Jesus was about to be betrayed, rejected, falsely accused, mocked, spit upon, slapped, beaten with a cord of nine-tails to the edge of death.  He was about to be stripped of all dignity and have his hands and feet nailed to the cross and lifted up on a cross. Oh Jesus was aware of what crucifixion would be like. He knew he would struggle for every breath why he hung there dying.  He knew he would quickly suffocate if he didn’t use his feet to lift himself up for every breath.  But He also knew that this was the Father’s plan to save the world.  So would he still glorify the Father in this suffering?  Would he still obey the Father’s plan when the Father leaves him alone on that cross to take upon  himself the sin of the world?  And what we see here is His answer: YES!  Even in his darkest moment Jesus prays, “Father glorify your name.”  Jesus will remain obedient even unto death on the cross. That’s the glory of the cross!  Jesus chooses to glorify the Father even though He will die on that cross.

So, here’s something to ponder:  The next time you face something that’s tears you up emotionally, the next time you face something that’s beyond your ability to endure, think about what Jesus prayed in this moment.  He asked God to help Him through

His suffering: “Father, glorify your name.”  It was Jesus’ passion for the Father’s glory that was going to help Him obey the Father.  And all I can say, is that may we have the same passion for the Father’s glory so that we to might pray this same prayer: “Father, glorify your name.”  Jesus’ passion for the Father’s glory trumped his inner turmoil.  And it was His prayerful dependence upon the Father, that helped him stay the course.

So, what happened next?  The Father answers his prayer.  Look at the text: Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. John 12:28-29 This is an amazing scene.  Some heard a voice from heaven, others heard what they assumed to be thunder.  So, Jesus takes this opportunity to reveal what’s going to take place now that His hour has come.

And as he does, he reveals to anyone who is listening; The Impact of the Cross: Jesus says, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment  on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.  And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. John 12:30-33 What I love about Jesus’ response here is that he tells us three ways His death on the cross will bring glory to the Father.  First,

• Jesus’ death on the cross will bring judgment on the world

Jesus glorifies the Father on the cross by demonstrating God’s justice.  For on that cross the Father will pour out his judgment upon the sin of the world.  He will pour out His wrath on Jesus who knew no sin, and yet becomes sin for us on that cross, so that God’s justice over our sin might be satisfied.  This not only glorifies the Father’s justice, but it become good news for anyone who puts their trust in Jesus.  For the moment Jesus took the full force of God’s Wrath for sin on that cross, he made it possible for you to escape God’s justice.  Jesus took God’s punishment for sin so you don’t have to.

In other words, Jesus took the punishment you deserved, so that God’s wrath against your sin would be satisfied.  That’s what atonement means.  And the good news is this: If you’ve put your trust in what Jesus did for you on that cross, you will never have to fear punishment for your sin. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2  That’s the power of the cross for anyone who believes.  Jesus took your place and received in His flesh the punishment you deserved, so you would not have to be punished.  That’s the good news of the cross.  Jesus took the wrath you deserved, so you could go free.  That’s the first impact of the cross.  Now, the second impact:

• Jesus’ death on the cross will defeat Satan

Jesus glorifies the Father by demonstrating His power and authority over Satan! Jesus said it this way, “now the prince of this world will be driven out.  The prince of this world is another name for Satan.  For Satan, the cross is a total defeat. By Christ’s death he was driven out. He was cast out from his position of power and influence on this earth. He’s been disarmed. That’s what Jesus did on the cross: He disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. Colosssians 2:15

As a result of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the evil one no longer has any claim or power over you because of the cross. That’s the power of the cross.  Jesus’ death breaks the chains of guilt and shame that the evil one used to hold you captive. So, the good news is that now when you put your trust in Jesus’s work on the cross, you can no longer be accused of sin.  For Satan has no authority over you.  You now stand faultless in the eyes of the Father because Jesus blood covers your sin.  That’s the glory of the cross. Christ has won the victory!   For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14

That’s the impact – the good news of the cross.  Because Jesus cast out Satan at the cross you can live without guilt, without shame, without fear of accusation. Satan has no claim on you, for you now belong to the Father.  That’s the beauty, that’s the glory, that’s the power of the cross!  Now, you would think that’s sufficient, but there’s more.  And this is where the cross gets very personal for every person in this room:

Finally, Jesus’ death on the cross will make a way for the world to be saved Jesus said it this way, And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”  Here Jesus glorifies the Father on the cross, because on that cross Jesus displays God’s love for the entire world.  Now, anyone can know the Father’s love if they just look to the cross.  Now, anyone can see the length God went to to reconcile you to Himself. For on that cross, we see the full display of God’s mercy and compassion to those who do not deserve it.

Sinclair Ferguson describes God’s love for us on the cross this way: The cross is at the heart of the gospel; it makes the gospel good news. Christ died for us; He has stood in our place before God’s judgment seat; He has borne our sins. God has done something on the cross we would never do for ourselves. But God does something to us as well as for us through the cross. He persuades us that He loves us.

This is the good news of the cross for the world.  Jesus said it this way: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” John 3:16-17

That’s the glory of the cross.  God made it possible for the whole world to see His love for them on that cross.  He saw our predicament.  He saw that we were rebellious sinners, bent on going our own way.  So, in His infinite wisdom and love, God made a way for you to be reconciled to Him.  He gave us His Son.  Sent Him to the cross.  So that on that cross He could die for You so you might live.  And not only you, but with the death of Jesus on the cross, Jesus has made a way for anyone to be saved.

And that’s the final thing we see from this passage: The Opportunity of the Cross   What is this opportunity? It’s an opportunity to escape the darkness of sin and death by looking to the cross.  It’s an opportunity to escape the power of darkness and live in the light of God’s presence.  Jesus has just told them that the prince of darkness is about to be dethroned – cast out.  But they are still confused about what Jesus is declaring here about the power of the cross.  And part of their confusion is that they are still fixated on their misplaced hopes of the Messiah. So, in their confusion they address Jesus, saying: “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?  John 12:34

Now Jesus doesn’t attempt to clear up the crowd’s confusion about the Messiah. Rather, he admonishes them to live in the light while He is still with them: “You are going to have the light just a little while longer.  Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. John 12:35   That’s the power of darkness.  To walk in the darkness, to walk without the light of God’s truth, God’s presence, God’s life is to stumble through life with no real guidance but your own, no help but your own, no protection, no understanding, no ultimate goal or meaning.  And they knew this. Everyone understood that to walk in the darkness was a metaphor for living life under the power and influence of Satan.

So, Jesus is offering them an opportunity to escape the power of darkness and live in light of God’s presence.  So with a strong imperative, Jesus exhorts his listeners:

Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” John 12:36  Jesus is calling for a decision, a step of faith.  He is offering them a way out of the darkness so that they might become children of light.  He invites them to trust in the light.  To trust in the truth of what He has just told them.  To put their trust in Him.

And the good news is that Jesus invitation to those walking in darkness is just as real today as it was then. Jesus knows that people today struggle in the darkness of the evil one. Jesus knows that this darkness leaves people confused, enslaved in sin, shackled by guilt and shame – with no way of escape.  But now that Jesus has gone to the cross, now that his death on the cross has satisfied the Father’s justice, now that His death has defeated Satan, and now that His death has revealed the love of the Father to the world – the good news is this: the opportunity exists today for anyone to escape the power of this present darkness.

All you have to do is put your trust in the light! Put your trust in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died for your sins so you don’t have to die.  And the moment you put your trust in Him, you will become a child of God.  That’s the glory of the cross…

That’s the power of the cross. That’s the glory of the cross.  For when Jesus’ died on that cross, he made a way for you to walk in the light as God’s child.  So, believe in the light while you have the light.  Put your trust in Jesus.