Scriptural text: John 12:44-50
Lesson Background:
This lesson’s Scripture text serves as Jesus’ final public discourse to His generally unbelieving audience. Even as Jesus performed many miraculous acts, there were people who failed to believe and follow Him.
This reality was highlighted in Jesus’ coming into Jerusalem. Many people celebrated His entry ( John 12:12-19), but there would be other people who would call for His crucifixion several days later (19:1-6). As a result of their unbelief, many people would experience certain consequences and judgment (12:40).
On Belief (John 12:44-46).
Jesus is affirming His essential unity with the Father. In John 10:30, He plainly told the Jewish leaders, “I and the Father are one.” There is an essential unity between the Father and the Son. This does not mean what those who hold to modalism teach, that Jesus and the Father are merely different modes of the same God. Throughout John we have seen that Jesus distinguishes Himself from the Father, while yet asserting their essential unity. Here He affirms again (John 12:44-45, 49) that the Father has sent Him, which would be nonsense if they are the same person. But He also affirms that He and the Father are closely identified that to believe in Him is to believe in the Father and to see Him is to see the Father. By these words, Jesus is claiming to be God, yet distinct from the Father.
Abiding (v. 46).
“I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” Again, this is a restatement of truth that has been repeated throughout John. John 1:4-5 affirms, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:9 calls Jesus “the true Light, which cometh into the world, enlightens every man.” John 3:19-21 refers to Jesus as the Light.
On Judgment (John 12:47-50).
“And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.” Again, Jesus is stating truths that have been repeatedly been taught in this gospel:
“For did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has already been judged already, because he has not believed in the only begotten Son of God.” There is no contradiction between Jesus’ statement in John 3:17 that He did not come to judge the world and His statement in John 9:39 that for judgment He came into this world. He means that the primary purpose in His first coming was not to judge the world, but to provide for the world’s salvation through His substitutionary death on the cross.
References: 2021-2022 KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, Enduring Word Bible Commentary