The Mercy of the Cross: John 12:34-36 - Pastor C.A. Rogers

God is merciful, merciful, merciful. God does not treat sinners according to their iniquities, and as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed sins from his people. God’s mercy is hard to understand because the human heart often wants judgment for the wicked, not patience. Jonah shows that clearly. Jonah ran from Nineveh because he knew God was “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness.” Jonah sat outside the city waiting for God to kill them all, but God had compassion on people who did not know their right hand from their left.

John 12 shows that same mercy in Jesus Christ. The crowd had shouted, “Hosanna,” and praised Jesus as the coming King. They wanted a Messiah who would overthrow Rome, bring earthly deliverance, and put Israel on top. But when Jesus revealed that “the hour has come” and that the Son of Man must be lifted up, they stumbled over the cross. The crowd could accept Christ if he fit what they expected Christ to be, but they could not receive the Christ who would die.

The Old Testament did say the Messiah would reign forever. Daniel said his dominion is everlasting, and Isaiah said there would be no end to his government. But Isaiah 53 also said the Servant would be cut off from the land of the living, and Psalm 22 pointed to the suffering of the cross. The crowd read the forever passages, but they missed the suffering passages. They did not understand how sinful man is, how holy God is, or why an unblemished Lamb must die for the sins of the world.

Jesus answers their mockery with mercy. He does not strike them down. He warns them. The light is among them for only a little while longer. The light is Christ himself, the truth, the way of salvation, the hope of deliverance. Jesus says, “Walk while you have the light,” because darkness is right there, ready to overtake, seize, blind, and destroy. Darkness leaves a man lost, walking without a path, without a guide, without a goal, without a star of hope from above.

Jesus then commands, “Believe in the light,” so that sinners may become sons of light. This is the mercy of the cross, that Christ speaks truth to people who are cold, dismissive, and disinterested. Then Jesus goes away and hides himself. The light will not always be ignored without consequence. The phone will hang up. God’s mercy has revealed the light, rescued sinners from darkness, and calls his people to show that same mercy to others.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Mercy warns before judgment falls. God’s mercy does not always feel soft, because mercy often comes as a warning before destruction. Jesus does not flatter the crowd’s unbelief or answer their mockery on their terms. Christ tells them the light is present, time is short, and darkness is near, because truth spoken before judgment is an expression of divine patience. [29:17]
• 2. The light will not wait forever. The light is not an idea floating around for whenever sinners feel ready. The light is Christ himself, present among them, speaking, revealing, and calling while the hour is still open. John 12 gives a sober mercy: the same Lord who shines also withdraws when his light is despised. [35:14]
• 3. Darkness seizes those who drift. Darkness is not passive background noise. Darkness overtakes, lays hold, blinds the eyes, and makes a person lost even while that person keeps walking. The warning is deep mercy, because Christ names the danger before sin finishes its destructive work. [40:53]
• 4. Believe in Christ as revealed. The crowd wanted a Christ shaped by expectation, not the Son of Man lifted up on a cross. Saving faith receives Jesus as he reveals himself: crucified, risen, glorified, and demanding repentance. The mercy of God does not invite sinners to edit Christ, but to trust the light as true. [48:49]
• 5. The gospel must keep speaking. Christ’s mercy toward the dismissive teaches the church not to carry a Jonah mentality toward hard sinners. Love keeps praying, keeps pleading, and keeps holding out the hope of deliverance until the final breath. Yet the warning remains serious: the phone can hang up, and the last opportunity may pass.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:18] - God’s Mercy Is More
• [01:00] - A Wicked Murder In Bible Study
• [04:34] - Jonah’s Anger At God’s Mercy
• [08:20] - The Mercy Question In John 12
• [11:46] - The Crowd Questions The Cross
• [14:13] - The Messiah Reigns Forever
• [16:28] - The Messiah Must Suffer
• [21:23] - Who Is This Son Of Man?
• [29:17] - Warning One: The Light Is Among You
• [36:29] - Warning Two: Walk While You Have Light
• [47:09] - Warning Three: Believe In The Light
• [51:25] - Jesus Hides Himself From Them
• [52:37] - Model The Mercy Of Christ

Bible Reading

John 12:35-36
“So Jesus said to them, ‘For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.’” [30:10]

Jonah 4:2
“He prayed to the LORD and said, ‘Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.’” [04:39]

Isaiah 53:8
“By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?” [16:38]

Daniel 7:14
“And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.” [14:13]

Observation questions

1. In Jonah 4:2, what reason does Jonah give for running from Nineveh, and what does that show about how he viewed God’s mercy? [04:39]
2. In John 12:35-36, what three things does Jesus tell the crowd to notice or do with the light?
3. What part of the Old Testament did the crowd seem to understand about the Messiah, and what part did they seem to miss? [16:28]
4. According to John 12:35, what does Jesus say happens to the person who walks in darkness?

Interpretation questions

1. The crowd could celebrate a reigning Messiah, but they stumbled over a suffering Messiah. Why is it so easy for people to welcome Jesus on their own terms but resist him as the crucified Savior? [23:49]
2. Jesus answers mockery with warning instead of immediate judgment. What does that show about the way mercy works before judgment falls? [29:17]
3. Jesus says darkness can overtake a person. Does that sound like a slow drift, a sudden seizure, or both? What does that help explain about the danger of unbelief and ongoing sin? [40:53]
4. Jesus says, “Believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” What does that suggest about belief being more than agreeing with facts about Jesus? [48:49]

Application questions

1. Jonah was angry that God would spare wicked people. Where does a Jonah spirit still show up in the heart—toward enemies, criminals, family members, or people who seem far gone? [52:37]
2. Jesus warns that the light will not remain ignored forever. Is there any area of life where conviction has been delayed, excused, or pushed aside, even though the truth is already clear? [35:14]
3. Darkness does not merely surround people; it seizes them. What kinds of darkness feel especially aggressive right now—old habits, bitterness, lust, fear, entertainment, unbelief, or something else? [42:10]
4. Many want a Christ who helps, comforts, and fixes circumstances, but not a Christ who rules, confronts sin, and calls for repentance. In what ways is there a temptation to reshape Jesus into someone easier to accept? [48:49]
5. Jesus says, “Walk while you have the Light.” What would it look like this week to make better use of the light already given—through Scripture, prayer, obedience, confession, or turning from something that dulls the soul? [36:37]
6. Some people are cold, dismissive, or tired of hearing about the Lord, yet mercy keeps speaking while there is still breath. Who comes to mind that still needs patient prayer and loving truth? [27:27]
7. “The phone will hang up” is a sober picture of how opportunity can end. How does that change the way conversations should be approached with loved ones who are resisting Christ? [54:51]