John 12:31-33 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.… I. Observe HOW UNIVERSALLY OPERATIVE IS THAT MYSTERIOUS LAW BY WHICH MEN ARE DRAWN TO CHRIST. Explain it how we may, Christ is today the central figure in the thoughts of the civilized world, and is becoming more and more so. For the past 1800 years interest in Him has been Steadily growing. How many volumes it would take, e.g., to present a faithful account of "Christ in Song" since Luke penned the "Overture of the Angels" down to the time when Keble wrote "Sun of my Soul"! Is the world tired of singing about Christ because He has occupied the central field so long? It is a fact of no little interest that Christ is the only Person all nations of the world have ever united to praise in the same forms of speech. Again, it might be shown that Christ occupies the same position through the ages in art and general literature. No one has ever received such tributes from men of genius as Christ, and about no one is the printing-press so busy. II. WHAT IS IT IN MAN THAT IS THUS DRAWN OUT TO CHRIST. With some it is admiration for His character and teachings; with others it is the interest that a reformer awakens; with others a sense of His Divinity. But if we stop here we shall lose sight of the true reason, so well stated by Napoleon. "Jesus alone founded His empire on love, and to this very day millions would die for Him." It is the human heart that is drawn out towards Christ. As we test the power of the magnet by the weight we attach to it, so Satan experiments with the heart of man. Take a typical case — that of Paul. He weighted Paul's heart with worldly allurements; but Paul cried, "What things were gain to me," etc. (Philippians 3:71): then with persecutions; but Paul said, "I take pleasure in infirmities," etc. (2 Corinthians 12:10): finally with death; but Paul exulted, "Who shall separate me" (Romans 8:35-39). When a bar of soft iron is brought into contact with a powerful magnet it becomes magnetic, and continues so while in contact; but remove it, and its virtue is gone. So the believer, to be attractive, must live near to Christ (chap. John 13:35). III. WHAT IS IT IN CHRIST THAT HAS SUCH POWER TO KINDLE NEW AFFECTIONS AND SET UP NEW RELATIONS AMONG MEN? Not merely the influence of His life or doctrines, or of the mysterious union of the Divine with the human, but supremely His Cross. And why His Cross we cannot exactly analyze. We cannot explain the mysterious principle that we see operating in the galvanic battery; but there is clearly something, and we call it Magnetism. And the mysterious something in the Cross we call Love (2 Corinthians 5:15; Jeremiah 31:3). Here is a love that has at its command the resources of the Godhead. "In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead," and a perfect sympathy with all human weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). What wonder that sinners are drawn to such a Saviour. IV. THE MANNER IN WHICH THAT POWER IS BROUGHT TO BEAR UPON MEN. By drawing (Psalm 110:3; Song of Solomon 1:4; Psalm 73:28). (J. G. Lowrie, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.WEB: Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out. |
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