Scribbles: John 12:23-26

A grain of wheat here shows us the path that Jesus walked. And it also represents the path that His disciples must walk.

If the grain of wheat refuses to be sown into the earth, if it chooses not to die, it remains alone. That’s talking about living life only for yourself.

I think all of us would agree that we don’t like being around selfish people. True? Selfishness is like human repellent. And in the Bible, selfishness is the attitude of sin.

But if the grain of wheat dies, if it gets buried in the earth, it bears much fruit.

Do any of us know our great grandparents? Do any of us know what they accomplished?

Let’s put it in a diagram.

Jesus will be glorified

Jesus will die and bear much fruit

Whoever loves his life loses it. Whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

If you serve Jesus, you must follow Jesus.

You will be where Jesus is, and the Father will honor you.

What’s the secret? Stop loving your life in this world. Don’t prefer it.

When Jesus says “love this, hate that”, He’s comparing the two things, and saying “Prefer this instead of that.” So don’t go around hating everything ok?

What does it mean to love your life in this world?

The word for love in Jn. 12:25 isn’t agape. It’s phileo. It’s talking about friendship. Love between friends.

Agape love is more about seeking the other person’s benefit. It’s kind of a one-sided love. On the other hand, Phileo love is about the mutual love shared between two persons. It’s reciprocated.

If we phileo our lives in the world, it means we’re looking to get something out of it. We’re looking for returns on our investment in this world.

Love. Recognition. Significance. Honor. Glory.

Do you want these things? Then we must not love our lives in this world.

There’s a picture that Paul uses in 1 Corinthians, where every Christian will be judged, not for salvation, but to have their works judged.

1 Corinthians 3:11–15 ESV

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

In this judgement, no one will lose their salvation. But the intentions and motivations behind their good works will be exposed and tossed aside. Anything that we’ve done for our own sake, to seek power or praises or avoid criticism, it will be burned away.

If we do not humble ourselves now, we will be humbled then.

So Jesus is the grain of wheat that chose to die in order to bear fruit.

And I want to point out three things in this passage that tell us about Jesus’ death.

Jesus died willingly, painfully, and fruitfully.

And what happens when we have faith in Jesus, is that what happens to Him physically happens to us spiritually. And so the things we might say of His death, are things we might say of our own death. What death? The death of our old selves.

Galatians 2:20 ESV

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

So let’s look at Jesus death.

Jesus died willingly

How many of us here enjoy losing?

Under what circumstances would you be willing to lose?

Believe it or not, I used to swim with Joseph Schooling. We were part of the same swimming club in SICC Thomson, about 20 years ago. We were in a swimming competition, and I remember losing on purpose, because I wanted him to win.

From a worldly standpoint, that’s stupid.

Jesus lost many things because He wanted us to succeed. He lost His life so that we would live. And the Bible clearly states that He died willingly for us.

John 10:17–18 ESV

17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

Jesus endured the pain of the cross because He saw the reward.

Hebrews 12:2 ESV

2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus willingly chose to die. We needed it. The Father ordained it. He embraced it.

Discuss: What makes us unwilling to lose something for another person’s gain? Under what circumstances would you be willing to do so?

1 Corinthians 10:24 ESV

24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

1 Corinthians 10:33 ESV

33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

I had a friend in primary school who was a pretty smart guy. We both scored the highest marks for science class. But when PSLE came, he froze. And he barely passed. He sowed, but did not reap.

Was he cursed?

Jesus died painfully

Jesus died a prolonged, painful death over a period of six hours, hanging from the cross. It was the most agonizing way to die back then.

Why did it have to be painful? Couldn’t God make it so that Jesus died quickly and without pain?

Christ’s death was painful because it was a cursed death.

Now, how does the curse feel? It feels painful. You work hard, but the ground will bear thorns and thistles. That’s what it’s like to live in this fallen world.

You put in so much effort to make a living, to provide for your family. To make someone fall in love with you. You study hard in school to get into the best university. But in the end, you can’t find a job. In the end, your girlfriend boyfriend husband wife cheats on you. And then what’s left to do? You just die. And 10, 20 years later, no one remembers you. That’s the curse of sin. It’s the curse of pain and fruitlessness.

So what does that mean? It means that we can be saved without any pain. Did it cause you any pain to believe in Jesus? Did you have to lose something? All you have to do is believe in Him. There’s no effort involved. There’s no pain involved.

As the grain of wheat, Jesus died a painful death, and we are His fruit.

This is what we call justification by faith. Have faith in Jesus, and you are justified before God. It’s completely painless. That’s why Jesus says that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light (Matt. 11:28-30).

Luke 12:16–21 ESV

And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Satan worked hard in order to get Jesus not to suffer. Satan usually tempts us with the promise of reward. To gain an ungodly reward through ungodly means. That’s His usual strategy. But in this case, Satan uses a different tactic. In the wilderness, Satan’s goal was for Jesus not to suffer.

But for us, Jesus bore the cross, suffered, and died.

So what about us? Which strategy is Satan using against you? Is He using plan A or plan B? Many times, in countries with a strong economy, Satan uses plan B. To get us not to suffer for God’s mission. To get us to focus on our own personal missions, our own goals, our own bucketlists. To keep our time, sweat, and money for ourselves.

In other words, Satan wants us walk the path of me myself and I, instead of following Jesus in the path of suffering. To follow Him into the wilderness, where we must wrestle, uncomfortably, with the old self and the new self.

We have to sow with a joyful heart

2 Corinthians 9:6–8 ESV

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

There are many parts of our lives that we can give to God. But honestly, some things are more painful to give than others.

But the Apostle Paul says here not to give reluctantly or under compulsion.

So for example, let’s say you’re already serving in church 3 times a week. But now you’re asked to serve in another duty. And you’re to feel reluctant or even resentful about your duty. What do you do?

If you continue on doing it, you’re going to end up being like Martha. Grumbling and complaining. And God won’t accept your offering anyway.

That is called serving in our own strength, not the strength that God supplies.

1 Peter 4:10–11 ESV

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Our pains tell us where our hearts are still attached to the things of this world.

John 12:25 ESV

25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Back in sec 3, one of my friends dropped a 10kg dumbbell on my left big toe. Fastforward a couple of weeks, the toenail turned black, and I remember going to Bernard, and lifting up the toenail in front of him.

But lifting my toenail didn’t cause me any pain. Why? Because it was already dead to me. It wasn’t part of me anymore. My body literally wasn’t holding on to it anymore.

When we stop loving our lives on this earth, and stop holding on to the things of this world, our service to Jesus becomes less painful and more joyful.

Philippians 3:7–8 ESV

7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

Does the Apostle Paul sound sorrowful or sad or gloomy here? He is rejoicing. This is what it looks like to not love your life in this world.

Don’t you want this joy? It’s the joy of sowing to the things of the Spirit rather than the things of the flesh.

Colossians 1:24 ESV

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,