You've all probably heard the expressions, I've seen the light, or he's seen the light, or, and the other one is, I can't believe my eyes. Well, there is a sense in which these Jews in the text have seen the light, but they haven't believed on the light, some of them, really most of them. as we'll see in the text, bears record to. But this is the last public preaching proclamation that Jesus makes to Israel. And it's interesting, again, he's preaching to the crowds. Many of them, maybe most of them, didn't like what Jesus had to say, and they didn't appreciate it. And then, of course, there were the few who did, but nonetheless, Jesus knew all about that, and he preached. And here, our Lord Jesus Christ, in his preaching, and it's a great example for us, as we would share the gospel, He showed forth his great long-suffering and patience toward the people. Now, some things can be very frustrating in this life, and sometimes, you know, it's understandable, but we need to follow the example of our Savior to be long-suffering and patient. We talked about the, of being thankful. Well, I think part of being thankful involves you will be a more patient person and long-suffering. They kind of go hand in hand together. But the Lord's long-suffering, however, doesn't mean that the Lord is wringing his hands up there in heaven and he's long-suffering because he's waiting for us to do something. No. God is in absolute control of everything. He's not worried about anything. And He's in absolute control of carrying out the mysteries of His providence and saving His believing people from their sins, and yes, even condemning unbelievers. This shows the long-suffering or patience of the Lord really to the reprobate as well as to the saved. Now notice the difference. Reprobate, of course, someone who's never going to be saved, and the elect, those who will be saved. But take, for instance, we see in 1 Peter 3, 20. Speaking of the reprobates during the time prior to the flood there, it says in 1 Peter 3, 20, which sometime were disobedient when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a perfume, that is, eight souls were saved by water. So we see the longsuffering of God toward the unbeliever, the reprobate even, God allows the lost to enjoy his bounty upon this earth and the earthly benefits that we get for an extended time and even to outwardly humble themselves before God when, you know, we think of The case of Ahab, when Elijah came to him and told him some very troubling news because of his sins and because there was judgment that was going to come. And in 1 Kings 21-29, the Lord says to Elijah, seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me. Because he humbled himself before me, I will not bring evil in his days, but in his son's days will I bring evil upon his house." We have an example of God's long-suffering and patience. God could have justly, immediately, the first time Ahab sinned in his life, could have sent him right straight to hell. But, instead, God is long-suffering, and he's patient. He's not like us where sometimes our emotions get the best of us. God, again, is in absolute control in every way. But all reprobates, again, could have very well just gone right straight to hell, but God allows them to enjoy some things for a while. God is so good, even to, as I mentioned this morning, to the just and even the unjust. But also we see the long-suffering of God toward those who are the elect, God's people. In 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 9, a very familiar passage, a very much misunderstood passage, but it says, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And again, this is an us word. The big word there is us word. Who's the us word? Who's it written to? God's people. He's elect. You know, that is the context of what that means. He's long suffering, not willing that any of his children would perish. waiting on us to do anything, but He is long-suffering, at least from our perspective, but God already has the day of our salvation set on His eternal calendar, and it's gonna happen exactly the very second that it's supposed to happen. But we see that, again, we see in 2 Peter 3, verse 15, it says, that the long-suffering of our Lord, remember he's talking about God's people here, is salvation. See, the long-suffering of God toward the reprobate is unto damnation and condemnation, but for his people is unto salvation. Again, he could have justly sent every one of his elect to hell outside of his grace, of course, and would have been just in sending every single one of the inhabitants of the earth to hell, but he's long-suffering to the just and to the unjust. The examples of God's long-suffering are plentiful toward sinners. We think of the Amorites and the Canaanites there in the land of promise. The cup of iniquity had not been filled up. I don't know how long it had been, probably, who knows, centuries before it was full. But that's just one of the many examples of God's long-suffering. Now that is not to say that as we look at this, that sometimes God inflicts judgment swiftly sometimes as well. Like in the case of Ananias and Sapphira. When they lied about how much money they gave to the church, It wasn't, you know, immediately. They fell dead when they continued to lie about that. And then we also see that those who partook of the Lord suffer unworthily. Many were sick. and had slept or died because of it. So a swift judgment, we can't assume that God's always going to, at the same amount of time in every situation, do the same exact thing because he sees things we don't see. He sees the sins in people's hearts that maybe we don't see. And then of course we see Herod. Remember Herod there And just imprisoned Peter. And anyway, he was making a great oration, probably waxing eloquent as could be. And the people said, this is not the voice of a man, it's the voice of a God. And apparently Herod just soaked it all in. And immediately God struck him with worms and ate him up and killed him right on the spot. So God does inflict swift punishment. and severe judgment at times as well. But of all the people whom God has been long suffering with, the Jews are number one. They've been shown and been given so many great blessings and shown great patience. as we see down through the centuries. You look at the Old Testament, it's a great testimony to that fact. And then we see what happened, and even though there were great judgments that have happened ever since 70 AD when Jerusalem was destroyed, the temple and all the sacrifice and everything that they did have ceased ever since then. We do know one thing, that God is still being long-suffering with Israel, and one day they shall repent at the return of Jesus Christ. But what we want to look at this afternoon is in believing the light, and seeing the light, and believing the light, is first the last call to believe. Now this is a general call mostly, but who knows, we don't know of anybody in particular named specifically that may have received an infectious call. But nonetheless, it's the last call to believe. And then we want to look at the lost contrariness to believe. And then finally, the lasting consequences of belief and unbelief. Let's look, first of all, at the last call to believe. Notice there in the first two verses of our text, in John 12, verse 35 and 36, it says, then said Jesus unto them, yet a little while, I mean it's really a little while, while It is a light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you. For he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things faked Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them. Now, what's more, we know, according to, Philippians 129, believing is a gift that is given. Nonetheless, we are still responsible to believe. It's a command. And so, Jesus issues the command, if you will, the call to believe. And it was something they're responsible, especially now that the light is with them. Because Jesus was about to go back to glory. And then we also recognize, too, there's a sense in which that applies to us, while the light is still with us, if you will. What do I mean by that? I simply mean that we may be in a situation where we may not be exposed to the light. We may be imprisoned, anything, any number of things. We could be physically impaired to the point that we won't understand anything, we won't You know, we're down for, you know, who knows what could be the problem that would somehow make it to where we could not see the light. In one sense, yes, we're all in that situation in our nature. But from this physical standpoint, which is what Jesus was talking to in one sense, this isn't necessarily going to last forever. Our exposure. You may be in a situation where it may be that's the case. A lot of times people put themselves in that position. They grow up and they leave that home and then they just don't ever darken the door of the church ever again. and, or read their Bibles and want anything to do with Christianity, which is, you know, that, that is a, that's going to be additional judgment under whom much is given, much is required. So God's spirit, as it says there in Genesis chapter six and verse three, will not always strive with men. You know, it may be that God, you know, gives a person up to a reprobate mind, as we see there in Romans chapter one. And so it's a warning that we should not be so comfortable with God's long-suffering that we imagine that God will never judge us for our sins, just because we're not experiencing immediate consequences of our sins. A lot of people do that. But you think about it, as Jesus makes his point here, Before the dawn of electricity, when back in those days, in the ancient days, people got their traveling done in the daytime. Because when it was dark, I mean, it is dark. There's no other street lights or any kind of lights like that. And so they traveled in the daytime. It was dangerous, especially on a moonless, starless night and it's clouds and the darkness has fallen. I mean, it's dangerous. Dangerous from the bare fact that you could easily stumble and fall over something very easily because you can't see. And then, of course, there are the wild animals that typically hunt at night. So it was very dangerous. And of course, you know, thieves and robbers and so forth. But I mean, even that would be kind of hard for them not to be able to see what's going on. But either way, it's a dangerous thing. And so Jesus is warning people of the danger. of walking in darkness. And then, of course, we see that spiritual darkness is even worse. Because we're not talking about, yes, people stumble, and they fall, and they hurt themselves. I mean, you could look at that. I mentioned the other day about the alcoholics in the street. They're hurting themselves. They're bruised. I mean, they've hurt their own selves. They're a mess. Some of these winos in the streets, that's what sin will do. Those kinds of things, the drug addicts and you can name it, all kinds of sins that make people miserable. But also we see that the spiritual darkness is greater because there are something worse than wild animals. We have the demons, the wild demons. that roam. These are the principalities of powers and spiritual wickedness in high places. This is the demons that torment men and tempt men. And we see that Satan himself is called a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He hates mankind. and would love to devour us, ruin our lives in every way, shape, or form he could. And then there is the blackness of darkness forever, of the outer flaming darkness of the judgment of God, where there's weeping and gnashing of teeth of those who are in hell today. Now, walking in the light, and believing in the light are characteristics of those who are children of light. That is an evidence that God has been working in that person's life. That's a fruit of the Spirit, if you will. And it says, these things spake Jesus and departed and did hide himself from them. This is the sobering climax of Christ's earthly ministry to the public, as it were, to all of Israel. And as he had said earlier in John 8, 21, then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me and shall die in your sins. Whither I go, ye cannot come. There are people in that same kind of thing that the last time maybe that they ever hear about Jesus Christ and they never respond in a positive way, in a biblical way, and they die in their sins and cannot go to heaven. The time had come that Jesus was now acting upon his words by hiding himself from the crowds. even though Israel had the most abundant and irrefutable evidence that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Messiah, they insanely concluded that Jesus was simply an imposter. You know, they didn't ever deny the miracles that Jesus did. You know, I mean, they were like really grabbing at straws. Well, he did it through the prince of devils, you know, through the prince of demons, Beelzebub, and through Satan, that they said. That didn't even make any good sense. So anyway, there was no good reason why they would deny that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God. But now secondly, we've seen that last call to believe. We now look at the lost contrariness to believe. Notice in verse 37, but though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believe not on him. Now this is, what Jesus is about to say, gives an explanation of the unbelief in the light of an Old Testament prophecy, or prophecies I should say, in the book of Isaiah, the prophet Isaiah had mentioned. It's interesting that the very quotes that Jesus quotes are in reference to himself. that really supports the fact that he is deity, that he is God, if you look at the context here. And even though he did all these miracles, some people may wonder, why didn't they believe him if he was so great? Well, really there are two reasons that we see. that are shown here. We have the human side and we have the divine side as to the reason for the contrariness of the lost. It says in John 12, 38, that the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report. Lord, who hath believed our report. And it says, and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? This is a quote from Isaiah 53 and verse 1, which is that great messianic song or prophecy in Isaiah. And in other words, there were few. that believed the report in Israel. Again, this is a, when Jesus makes a commentary in an Old Testament passage and then applies it in the New Testament, you can be sure, this is a commentary that you can, that's inspired. Jesus is the only one that has an inspired commentary. And so we see that even though the arm of the Lord had been revealed in Christ with great signs and wonders, they didn't believe. But isn't that what it says? Reason number one, the divine side of the Jews' unbelief. Here Jesus is quoting from Isaiah 6 and verse 10. Therefore they could not believe because, notice could not believe, because Isaiah said again, he had blinded their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not see with their eyes or understand with their heart that they and be converted and I should heal them. Israel's rejection of Christ was not only foreseen by Christ, but sovereignly designated by Christ. The long-suffering of God was over for the time for Israel because of their constant stubborn hardness of heart. And God hardened their hearts and blinded their eyes as a judgment against them. Now, the flip side of that is there's a blessing attached with that. Because we see in Romans chapter 11 and verse 11, It says, and again, it's God's providence, God's plan. In Romans 11, 11, I say then have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid, but rather through their fall, Israel, salvation has come unto the Gentiles to provoke them to jealousy. So it is a blessing to us, Gentiles, that they had done so and God had orchestrated it in His sovereignty. Verse 41 says, These things said Esaias when he saw His glory and spake of Him. He's speaking of Jesus. This shows that the last quote from Isaiah in particular was the same chapter in which Isaiah saw his glory and said, woe is me, I'm a man of unclean lips and dwell amongst a people of unclean lips. And he saw his glory and Apostle John indicates and testifies that Christ's rejection was a testimony to Christ's deity because that is referring to God there in Isaiah 6 and it's applied here to Jesus Christ. And then we see this also shows that Christ is the judge who in judgment hardened their hearts and blinded their eyes. We must understand that these Jews and others like them did not refuse to believe on Jesus Christ against their will. They chose to not believe on Him. They chose to reject Him. I mean, that's what the natural man does, right? Descends. But it's their own deliberate choice that they continue to stubbornly reject Christ and those like him, of course we know you can, as Brother James pointed out, if God wants to save somebody, there's no way you can stop it or reject it, it's gonna happen. But in the case of when that doesn't happen, that they stubbornly reject Jesus Christ and harden themselves, we see the example of Pharaoh. If you look over there in Exodus chapter 4 through chapter 14, you notice something. Ten times, Pharaoh hardened his heart, and ten times, God hardened his heart. That's what's amazing. It's God's judgment upon stubborn unbelief. It's something God hates. And of course, again, it is God's sovereign design in all of it. But now verse 42 says, nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. Here we come to the human side. We've seen the divine side. Here is the human side as to the contrariness of the lost to believe. They had a belief. But as the following words tell us, it was a spurious belief. It was a belief that was not genuine. It was a damning faith. We know that the book of James chapter 2 verse 19 says that the demons believe and tremble. Just because someone says, I believe, doesn't necessarily mean a thing at all. There has to be the fruit there, or it's not real. Because God's gift is so good that there's fruit. He's not going to give a gift and then have you dishonor him by not living the life. In fact, if that happened to one of his children, we'd get a whooping, don't we? So God's not going to allow it. He's not going to tolerate it. So there's the human side. We see they did not confess it. This is detrimental. This was something, apparently, was something that they continually did over and over and over. There's their lifestyle, right? It wasn't like Peter denied him three times and then he was so sorry, you know, we don't see that kind of stuff out of his behavior as a characteristic of his life. It's one of those things that happened to him. It's just like us, we could do that too, but it's not something that's going to characterize our life. In fact, that is bore out in Matthew chapter 10 verse 33. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. So it's a dangerous ground to be treaded. And what was the other thing on the human side? Well, lest they should be put out of the synagogue. Jewish authorities have already, we've seen in previous chapters, in chapters nine and chapter seven, that had already decreed the dreaded punishment that a person would get, it would cut them out of Jewish social life and religious life for anyone who confessed Jesus Christ to be the Messiah. And then it goes even further in denunciating these people that their faith was not genuine, for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. This showed the superficiality of their religion. It was very shallow. In John 5, 44, Jesus says to them, how can ye believe How is it that you say you believe, in other words, which receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only? So Jesus was saying, this is not the characteristic of a child of God. They loved, sadly, their self-exalting religion and their prestigious position in the synagogue and in the Sanhedrin so much that they rejected Christ. And such a love for the world revealed they did not love God, as James 4.4 tells us in 1 John 2, verse 19 or 15. Matthew 16.26 says, for what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul. And what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? It's so valuable. True salvation is illustrated by the Pharisee and the Publican in Luke chapter 18. The Pharisee was self-righteous and thought he, you know, he did all these things. Me, me, I do this and I do that and all this. And all he was talking about was that. But the Publican, he couldn't even lift his face up to heaven. his head up to heaven, he was so ashamed of himself and he beat upon his chest and said, Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner. He saw that he was no good and grieved over it and pleaded for God to have mercy on him. And he's the one that went to his house justified, not the Pharisee. It says there, in contrast to those who believe, it says in John 12, 26, if any man serve me, Let him follow me. And where I am, there shall also my servant be. If any man serve me, him will my father honor. So now thirdly, lastly, the lasting consequences of belief in unbelief. John 12 44 says Jesus cried and said he that believeth on me believeth not on me but on him that sent me. It is said that this is part of what Jesus said earlier before he hid himself, but either way we see that it was a call to believe along with we see the consequences of belief and unbelief. It was his last passionate cry to the multitude and we see that He really, in some ways, emphasized the truths that we see recorded in the entire book of John. And we see here that he's saying that it's impossible that you either believe on him or the Father, but they are one. There's a unity of the Godhead, as we see in the next verse. And he that seeth me See of him that sent me, they're one in the same God. And he stressed his unity with God the Father. And Jesus often said that. And one other time, we can mention there in John 14, nine, Jesus said to them, have I been so long with you? And yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. And how sayest thou, then show us the Father? And Jesus said there in John 14, 23, Jesus answered and said unto them, if any man love me, he shall, will keep my words and my father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him. So those who receive the truth, Enjoy the blessings. These are the consequences of belief. And the fruit of belief, if you will, is a blessed fellowship and love with God the Father and God the Son. And then we find there in John 12, 46, I am come a light into the world that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. Once more, Jesus dealing with the subject of light and darkness, the blessed consequences of believing. Jesus is stressing, be in the light of his own truthfulness and the need of man to follow Jesus Christ. The children of light are described in the book of Colossians chapter 1 verse 13, who have delivered us, the children of light, from the power of darkness. In other words, it has no dominion over us. And have translated us into the kingdom of his dear son. We've been liberated from the chains of the kingdom of darkness because of Jesus Christ. There'll be no abiding in the darkness, no second death in the fiery outer darkness forever. What else can you say? That sums up so much of what a blessing it is to be children of light. And when we come to believe, we understand that when Christ gives us that gift of believing. In verse 47 it says, and if any man hear my words and believe not, I judge you not. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. Now what did he mean by that? Well, the first time Jesus came, he didn't come to judge. He didn't come to judge. He came to save sinners. The first coming of Christ was to, the purpose was to save sinners through his death on the cross. Well, it's the second coming in which Christ is going to judge the world. And we see that many times over in the Bible that that would be the case. And Hebrews 9, 27, of course, we see it as far as death is concerned. We see it as far as Revelation 20, verses 11 through 15 as well. But verse 48 says, he that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judges him. The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. Now we understand Jesus is a living word. And now Jesus shall judge by, not only himself, but by the written word. We see the one recorded right here, but we find there in In John chapter 17 verse 17, Jesus said, sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. And then it says in Romans 2.2, but we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth, according to the word, against them which commit such things. Those who reject the truth, Jesus had taught, condemn themselves, and shall be judged. Hebrews 12.25 says, see that ye refuse not him that speaketh, speak in his word. For if they escape not who refuse him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven. Solemn words. There in the last two verses it says in John 12, for I have not spoken of myself, but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting. Whatsoever I speak, therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. Jesus is restressing his submission to the Father. His authority flowed from his submission to the Father, and of course, we see it flowed from his unity with the Father as well. There's no one, therefore, that can reject Christ's words with impunity and get away with it. Even though, as we look at this passage, Israel enjoyed the most favored nation status for many generations, many centuries, and individual citizens therein, doesn't mean, as they thought, and as some people think, they would never be That applies to people today. May the Lord's long-suffering not be misconstrued and give you a false comfort that you can continue in your unbelief and all will be well. That God will spare you, that you would not abuse His mercy. patience and long-suffering and grew hardened with an unbelieving consolation that will only lead to an everlasting fiery judgment of the wrath of God. Don't be like those that we find recorded in Ecclesiastes chapter 8 and verse 11 which says, because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." They assume that God is going to continue to be long-suffering. How much better it is to receive the blessing of believing and receive the true and eternal comfort of Jesus Christ and eternal redemption. May this be true with us. Y'all shall this Thanksgiving season be able to say, thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift, because we've received it. We've realized this long-suffering and patience is a gift from God, it's a blessing, and God has moved in our hearts and caused us to see that we need to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and he empowers us to do so. May God bless us to not be those who inject the light, but that receive the light. Well, thank you for your attention to the Word of God. We do want to go to the Lord in prayer. I'm going to ask Brother James if you would lead us as we be dismissed. Dear Father, we thank you for allowing us to come to you once again in prayer. We ask that you go before us, Lord, as we part with our separate ways, that you bring us back to that point in time. Thank you for your word, Lord, to take and apply in our lives, to have in our hearts, help us meditate upon your word. Forgive us, Lord, what we have sinned against you. Just turn us from our wicked and evil ways, Lord, and help us to rest in you and trust you. Lord, send your spirit upon us to give us understanding, Lord, and just help us, Lord, to do according to your word. We just bless this week, Lord, be with those that are going to be traveling, that you would set your heads in protection about them, bring them back at that point in time. Lord, be with those that are sick, bring them to a full measure of health, Lord. Be with the families as they gather together for Thanksgiving, Lord, that you give a good time, Lord, and help us especially be grateful and thankful for you and your abundant blessings. Lord, direct our footsteps and help us to be a blessing to those that we come in contact with. Just have your will in the services Tuesday, Lord, and next Lord's Day. I'll be with brother Andy as he speaks, give him the words you have him say. All those things matter.