John Owen begins his book The Death of Death in the Death of Christ writing, “If thou intendest to go any farther, I would entreat thee to stay here a little. If thou art, as many in this pretending age, a sign or title gazer, and comest into books as Cato into the theatre, to go out again, – thou hast had they entertainment; farewell!”¹ Few publishers today I am sure would allow such a sentence to begin a book. Few would allow an author whose book they are financially supporting to begin saying, “Look, if you are not really going to sit and digest this book and you just like to flip through a book and see what it’s about, then you’ve had your share. Put this book down and buy another.” But Owen wrote just that (an advantage to writing in the 17th century?). And if you’ve read (or attempted to read) that book, then you know it is a necessary warning.

In a sense, that same kind of warning could preface our text this morning. For up to this point in the gospel many of the Jews had seen glimpses of the kind of Messiah they could follow. He had turned water into wine, healed an official’s son, made a paralytic man to walk, fed five thousand with only five loaves of bread and two fish, opened the eyes of a man born blind, and raised a man from the dead. He was indeed powerful and appeared to be one who could surely overthrow the Roman authorities. In many ways he fit the bill of the Messiah that many were looking for to come. He could have been conceived as a figure who could bring about all the fulfillment of their dreams.

Yet, after the record of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, this gospel takes a dark turn. For immediately after this story John records that the Pharisees and chief priests make it their aim to put Jesus to death. And, unexpectedly to many, Jesus agrees that death is indeed imminent for him and part of his divine mission. This is so out of place with their view of the Messiah that the crowd says to Jesus, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up?” (12:34). They simply did not know what kind of Messiah could be said to die.

However, it is clear that Jesus’ death is exactly the direction toward which John wants us to be looking in these verses. This section of his gospel begins with the decision to kill Jesus in 11:45-54. Then John directs the reader to the Passover, a feast celebrating the death of a lamb for the life of the firstborn, and to Mary anointing Jesus’ body for burial with expensive perfume in 11:55-12:8. Finally, in 12:9-11 we are reminded once more that the goal of the Jewish leaders was to put Jesus to death (and Lazarus with him) as we move to 12:12 and Jesus entry into Jerusalem wherein he would die.

So was there a problem here? Was the Messiah really supposed to die? Was it simply an accident or flaw in the plan that left Jesus drowning in his own blood on the cross to end his ministry and short life here on earth?

Certainly the answer to each of these questions is that there was no problem, Jesus was supposed to die, and the cross was God’s perfect plan for his Son (even as we read earlier in the service from Philippians 2 that the Son was obedient even to the point of death on the cross). The death of Jesus was indeed the Father’s perfect plan for his Son.

So why then did he die? What did his death accomplish? These are the questions that our text answers this morning. However, before we turn to answering that question, let us first note and affirm what this text once again affirms, Jesus was indeed the promised and anointed one of God.

Jesus was the promised and anointed one of God

We will look at the earlier verses as we answer why Jesus had to die, but first let us turn our attention to 12:9-19 in order to see John’s clear affirmation that Jesus was the promised redeemer, God’s Messiah.

In this section Jesus begins his “triumphal” entry into Jerusalem as most of our Bibles no doubt label this section. But the appearance of his entry does not really seem triumphant in every sense you would imagine. As many people hear that this one who has just raised Lazarus from the dead is entering Jerusalem, they run ahead of him, take branches of palm trees, and cry out before him, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” (12:13). The word “hosanna” means “give salvation now,” and together with their cry of blessing and proclamation that he is the King of Israel showed that some at least believed that he might be the promised Messiah and deliverer of Israel.

Yet just when you would anticipate a king on a white horse riding through triumphantly to lead his people to defeat his archenemy, you have Jesus riding on a young donkey, slowly walking through the crowd. Therefore, at first glance this could hardly communicate a triumphant entry into Jerusalem when the proclaimed king is riding on a slow-walking donkey. However, in light of the insight John gives us in verses 14-16, this scene speaks much more triumphantly than riding on a white horse would have. For John writes in these verses, “Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, ‘Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!’ His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.”

That is to say, when this scene was taking place, Jesus’ disciples weren’t putting all the pieces together. But after he was raised from the dead and ascending to his Father’s right hand, then they reflected back on this and understood what had occurred. Jesus had fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah 9. For in that chapter we find God’s promise that his king would come, riding on a donkey, and he would reign over all the earth and free his people from bondage. Specifically, Zechariah 9:9-11 reads: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot of Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.”

Therefore, this scene and John’s commentary in 12:12-19 is meant to be a clear declaration that Jesus is the promised King of Zechariah 9. He is the one who is coming to reign over his enemies, to reign over all the earth, and to free his people. He is indeed the promised and anointed one of God. He is the King of Israel, and his kingdom extends to the end of the earth.

But even here we might ask, “So why does he then die? What does his death accomplish?” So, let us turn now to answering that question. There are at least three things Jesus’ death accomplished that we can see from this text. He died: 1) to bring life to those who are themselves dead, 2) to gather one people together as his own, and 3) to victoriously crush the serpent and glorify his Father. Let’s look at this first one.

Jesus died to bring life to those who are dead

This is quite an ironic point isn’t it? Jesus dies in order to bring to life those who are dead. Yet this is the clear teaching of this text (and the rest of Scripture as well).

We see this first in 11:45-53. In this text John recounts the decision of the Pharisees and chief priests to seek to put Jesus to death. They arrive at this conclusion because they see many beginning to believe in him after his miraculous display of power in raising Lazarus from the dead. This scene puts them into somewhat of a panic as they reason that if Jesus is ultimately seen as the king of this nation and a rival to the Roman emperor, then the Romans will come and take away the temple and indeed the entire nation. So, we read in 11:47-48, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

However, Caiaphas, the chief priest, speaks up and provides the solution. He points out their blindness in some sense and says, in essence, “Don’t you see the solution? We simply need to kill Jesus. For it is better that he die than that he gets us into a situation where all of us die.” Specifically he says, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” And they take his advice, as John records in verse 53, “So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.”

The interesting note here, however, is that John points out that though Caiaphas did not understand what he was saying, he spoke more truthfully than he understood. He was being used by God to declare a truth that even he did not understand. John writes in 51-52, “He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.”

Though there is more here about what Jesus’ death accomplished, we already get to see that there must be a substitution if his people are to live. For it is indeed true what Caiaphas spoke; either Jesus died or the nation died. Either Jesus gives his life or they must give theirs.

Now John points out that this truth applies to more than just the nation of Israel. It applies to all who belong to Christ all over the face of the earth. Thus, we can correctly say that if Jesus had not died, then the people surely would have. He must die so that we can live.

This is seen even more clearly in 12:23-24. There Jesus, talking about his death, says, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified [i.e. crucified]. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

It is easy to see that throughout Scripture fruit represents life. That’s why we began our study in this book pointing out that where there is no fruit there is no life. Thus, when Jesus moves from saying that the time has come for him to die to saying that his death will produce fruit, he is saying that he is dying that he might bring life. He is not departing from his declaration in John 10:10 that he had come to bring life; he is simply adding that in order to bring that life he must die.

Therefore, this morning as we think of Jesus’ death we can understand that by dying he defeated the ultimate hold death had on his people. He died so that we might live. Hebrews 2:14-15 says, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” It’s as if Jesus walked behind the curtain of death which hung over us and haunted us with its great threat and grip on us. He went behind the curtain, came back out, and said, “Come on. I’ve conquered it and paved the way. Come follow me, for I am the way to the Father.”

Jesus’ death defeated death for us so that we might live eternally with him. Yet Jesus also died in order to gather one people together as his own.

Jesus died in order to gather one people together as his own

Again, we see this in two places. The first is a text we’ve already referenced. In 11:51-52, John says of Caiaphas’ statement that it is better for one man to die for the nation than for the whole nation to perish, “He did not say this on his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.” Thus, here you see that Jesus was dying “to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.”

In addition, we see this in 12:20-36. This section begins with some Greeks asking to see Jesus. They mention this to Philip, who tells Andrew, who then tells Jesus. And Jesus’ response is rather interesting. Instead of seeking them out or saying he wanted nothing to do with them, their interest in him leads him to reflect on the reality of the cross and his imminent death. He mentions his death and the fruit it will bring in 12:23-24. Yet the cross is troubling to him as well. It is not an easy reality to know that you will die via crucifixion. Thus, Jesus says in 27-32, “‘Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven: ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world, now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’”

The Greeks looking for Jesus sent him ultimately to declare that his intent indeed is to draw all people to himself (i.e. not without exception but without distinction, from every people, tribe, tongue, and nation). The intent of his death is to make a way to “gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.” And that is indeed what his death has accomplished.

Because of the work of Christ, dying and raising from the dead, anyone who repents of his sins and places his faith in Christ will be a child of God. And it does not matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, for the Lord is gathering all his scattered people into one people, all his scattered sheep into one flock (John 10:16).

This January I took at class at Southern Seminary with Dr. Russ Moore. During that class he shared that he had adopted two little boys from Russia as they had been living in a rundown orphanage there. He said that after they had the boys in their custody many would ask, “Are they brothers?” to which he would respond, “They are now.” Then they would say, “You know what I mean. Are they real brothers?” to which he would again respond, “They are now.” And his point was not to be frustrating to others but to remind them that what makes those two boys brothers is not that their DNA is similar but that they have the same father. So it is with those who believe in Christ. The Lord has one people, one flock, and he has made us brothers in Christ by enabling us to be children of God. This was another purpose of Christ’s dying. He was dying so as to enable not simply those from Israel but those everywhere to become children of God. So today, it is not those from Christian homes or good families who are blessed as God’s children but all men everywhere who are willing to repent of their sins and place their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

He died to bring life, to gather into one his people, and one more purpose from the text. He died to crush the serpent and to glorify the Father.

Jesus died to crush the serpent and to glorify the Father

Ever since the Fall when Adam sinned and surrendered dominion to the serpent, man has been held captive by sin, death, and condemnation. Yet God promised in Genesis 3:15 that one would finally come and crush the serpent so that God’s children might be redeemed and the Father glorified. In Genesis 3:15 God said to the serpent in the garden, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall crush your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

This is what occurs at the cross. Jesus is the promised offspring of the woman, and on the cross his heel is indeed bruised. He dies a horrible, painful death, bearing the condemnation of God for our sin. Yet in that moment it is not a time of defeat, but of victory; for in dying he defeats death and through his death he crushes the serpent. Thus, Jesus says in John 12:31, “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.” Again, remember the words of Hebrews 2:14-15, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” At the cross Jesus destroys the one who has the power of death, the ruler of this world, the god of this age. Though his heel is bruised he crushes the serpent who held his people captive through fear of death.

The cross is, therefore, not a point of defeat for the Messiah. Those who heard Jesus declaration that he would die were confused because their only category for death was defeat. But for Jesus, and for all who believe in him, it is victory. For through the cross and eventually the resurrection, Jesus is exalted as the King. And as he is enthroned at the right hand of the father, the serpent is dethroned, and therein is the Father glorified. That is why when Jesus prays for the Father to glorify his name he answers, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” And indeed he did.

So why did Jesus die? Was it a moment of defeat? Did it show that he was not the promised one? No. It was a moment of victory through which he defeated Satan and death itself. It is that which was necessary to bring us life, to accomplish our adoption as God’s sons, and to crush the serpent and glorify the Father. Jesus death and resurrection is our victory as we are united in him.

So, what do we need to do in response to this truth this morning? Let me exhort you to do three things:

1) If you see the glory of Jesus Christ this morning, then believe.

When the crowd is so confused as to how the Messiah could be said to die, Jesus says, “While you still have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of the light” (12:36). The Scripture says that “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor 4:4). Therefore, if God has graciously opened your eyes to see the light of the gospel to see what Christ has done that we might live eternally, then believe. He who believes in the Son will live forever though he dies. But whoever does not believe in Jesus Christ has spurned God’s offer of his precious Son and only eternal judgment in hell will await that one. So, I plead with you this morning to repent of your sins and to place your hope in Jesus and his death, burial, and resurrection as your only hope of eternal life.

2) Be the means by which Christ is gathering his people from all over the face of the earth.

That is to say, evangelize. Nathan pointed out last week that the means by which Christ is now speaking life to those who are dead in their sins is through our verbal proclamation of the gospel. Isn’t that amazing!?! As we speak the gospel the Lord speaks through us so as to produce life in his people. Therefore, do not fear, but go with the authority of the risen and exalted Christ and speak the gospel to those you know who have not believed in Christ.

3) Finally, look to Christ to find strength today as you are struggling in obedience to him.

Jesus said that if we are to have life, we must have our lives in this world. He says in 12:25-26, “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” If we are to live eternally, we must be people who carry the cross as well. As Jesus died on the cross, so he calls us to die to ourselves and to live only to him.

And that is hard, isn’t it? Obedience at times can be so full of struggle that you feel like you cannot go on. You hear that you need to witness, and it is hard and makes you fearful. Maybe you’ve taken a stand on what is right and true, others are mocking you and gossiping about you, and it is hard. I don’t know your situation this morning as you seek to follow Christ, but I know that it is no doubt hard to carry the cross. But this morning I want to point out from this text that the cross was hard for Jesus as well. He said his soul was troubled, and it would have been easier to say, “Father, save me from this hour.” But he found strength in seeking the glory of his Father, knowing his Father would in time exalt him.

So, I say to you. Look to Christ’s example. Remind yourself this morning that to please the Lord is of much greater gain than to please men and have their applause. Live unto the One who died so that we might have life, be God’s children, and bring honor to our heavenly Father.

As we close in communion may we proclaim the Lord’s death as our victory, and may we declare as well that we, even this day, die to ourselves and live to him and his glory. Amen.

¹ John Owen, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ in The Works of John Owen, Vol. 10, reprint (Carlisle, Pennsylvania: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1987), 149.

THE DEATH AND EXALTATION OF THE SON