John 12:44-50 (March 15th, 2026)

John 12_44-50 (March 15th, 2026)Brian Lee

4:02

In today's passage, Jesus teaches that to trust Him is to trust God who sent him.

V. 44-45, And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me.

And, to trust Jesus is to enter Him who is the Light.

v. 46, I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

Jesus says he has come to fulfill the purpose of the Trinity: to save the world and provide eternal life. It doesn't mean there is no judgment. He says there will be a final judgment.

v. 47-48, If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

In today's passage, John is summarizing the first 12 chapters. His message is the oneness of the Father and the Son, how the Son was sent, the purpose of his being sent, and how, through the Son, eternal life is given. This passage serves as a pivot to the rest of John's Gospel, which will reveal the Glory of God through the Passion of Christ.

Although the Messiah came to lead people out of darkness into light, sadly, not everyone will come to the light. Why? Coming to the light means being seen, exposed, and transparent. Confessing our sins and repenting of our past ways is how we leave darkness behind. In a certain sense, when Jesus says, "If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him," he is saying that the light does not judge — remaining in darkness is already a judgment. This will be made so apparent on the Day of Judgement.

How about us today? Are we just managing our sins rather than repenting of them? Are we sorry for the consequences of our sinful ways, rather than confessing our sins?

When we say we have faith but we remain in darkness, it is a contradiction. We are to be the salt and light of this world. We cannot fulfill our calling when we remain in darkness. The light exposes darkness. Let us repent by turning from our old ways to the way of the Cross. Let us daily deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Christ, our Lord and Savior.