Father; Glorify Your Name
A Sermon on John 12:23
Originally preached Sept. 19, 1965
Scripture
23¶ And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
Sermon Description
There are many who want to observe Jesus, but few who will believe in Him. In this sermon on John 12:23 titled “Father, Glorify Your Name,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains the difference and shows how the glory of salvation is revealed in the cross of Jesus Christ. The Greeks, just like so many today, only approached Jesus in wanting to observe Him. They came with wrong motives and wrong reasons, and like contemporary culture, but they do not desire to understand His teaching or follow His example. Like a curious child, they look upon His death with inquisitive eyes and investigative hearts. But Jesus can only be known, loved, and experienced by direct interaction with His death. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that at the heart of Christianity is the sacrifice of Christ in the sinner’s place. The central mission, purpose, and message of Jesus is found in His dying since there is no hope of salvation unless the seed falls into the ground and the Son of Man is lifted up before all. It is His death on the cross that demonstrates the glory of salvation. One must see the absolute necessity of the cross and His death. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reveals that the death of Christ on the cross reveals the glory of the Father and is the basis for Jesus’s prayer: “Father, glorify your name.”
Sermon Breakdown
- Jesus is confronted by Greeks who want to see him.
- Jesus says he cannot see them until he is glorified through his death and resurrection. His death is essential for salvation.
- The cross reveals the glory of God the Father. It shows his righteousness, justice, holiness, love, mercy, and wisdom.
- The cross reveals the glory of Jesus Christ. It shows his love, purpose in coming to earth, defeat of Satan, and kingship.
- To glory in the cross, one must realize their sin, helplessness, and need for Christ. One must believe Jesus is the Son of God who died to save them. One must hate the world and follow Christ.
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.