The Glory of the Cross

John 12:20-26

Praise and Prayer

If you brought your bibles turn with me over to the gospel of John chapter twelve. The gospel of John chapter twelve and in a moment we are going to read verses 20-26 of the gospel of John chapter twelve.

What do you think is the greatest example Jesus has set for us to follow?

I think the greatest example He gives us to follow is how to be a servant. He set aside Himself to meet the needs of others. He teaches us not to be self-serving but to be self-sacrificing.

Repeatedly in the scriptures Jesus calls on us to lay down our life and serve Him. I don’t think we can just brush aside a message from Jesus because He repeats so often.

For example, Matthew 16:24–26

Matthew 16:24–26 NASB95

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

These words of Jesus apply to everyone who wants to follow Him. He is talking about saving or losing our lives eternally.

The Point: The cross teaches us the way to glory is through service to God and self denial.

John 12:20–26 NASB95

Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. “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. “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

Who are the characters in this story? (some Greeks, Philip, Andrew, Jesus)

What are they doing? (The Greeks want to see Jesus, Philip and Andrew speak to Jesus for them, and Jesus is teaching His disciples)

Why? (The Greeks have heard this is the Messiah, Philip and Andrew are disciples close to Jesus, and Jesus is predicting His death and making it clear there is a cost to being a disciple.)

In our passage this morning we have just entered the final week in the life of Jesus.

The tension is mounting between Christ and the Jewish leaders. He has just entered Jerusalem to begin the celebration of the Passover.

He rode in on the foal of a donkey, and scores of people came out to meet Him in the streets, shouting “Hosanna, Hosanna, Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.”

The people were looking for a political Messiah, they believed Jesus was coming as a king to lead an uprising and deliver them from Romans oppression.

But, Jesus was coming in peace to die as the Passover Lamb for the sin of the world.

And because Jesus was not the Messiah they were looking for, by the end of the week they will go from shouting, “Hosanna, Hosanna” to shouting, “crucify Him, crucify Him.”

Jesus uses this moment to teach His disciples an important truth we need to understand today; the way to glory is through service to God and self denial.

I. The Request Vs. 20-22

In Vs. 20, Who is going up to worship at the feast?

Notice Vs. 20 Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast;

The Greeks in this passage represent the world. They are obviously believers and converts to the Jewish religion because they are going to worship at the feast.

And it is important we remember what was just said by the Pharisees when Jesus was coming to town being hailed as the King.

Notice John 12:19 “So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him.””

Isn’t it ironic that the Pharisee’s are complaining the world is going after Jesus, and now these Greeks come seeking Him? These Greeks represent the Gentile world.

Who do the Greeks approach in the story Vs. 21? “these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee,”

It is important we understand Bethsaida in Galilee, was near a large population of Greeks. So, it is possible that Philip knew these Greeks, and that’s why they approach him. But it doesn’t seem likely because;

Who does Philip tell and take with him to Jesus? in Vs. 22.

Two things I think are worth noting here. 1. It is always good to evangelize in pairs. When Jesus sent the disciples out to preach, He sent them in pairs and here in this story we see Philip immediately go to Andrew to help him with these Greek seekers.

2. Andrew appears to be a very strong evangelist in the Gospel of John.

This is the third time we find Andrew bringing someone to Jesus. The first person was his brother; Simon Peter in John 1:41, he said “we have found the Messiah.”

The second time was in John 6:8-9 when he found a young boy with a few fish and Jesus used it to feed thousands.

So, Andrew has a great reputation for bringing others to Jesus and Philip seeks out his help here with these Greeks.

What do these Greeks ask Philip in Vs. 21, “and began to ask him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

I think these are the most profound words in the Bible. I think these words should be at the forefront of the mind of every Christian. (written on hands, worn on wrist bands)

These words should be plastered on every wall in our home, in the church, and on the pulpit.

Because these words remind us that people didn’t come here to see you or me, or how eloquent we look or how brilliant we are. They came to see Jesus. We represent Him in the world, and as a church.

And what an incredible task that Philip and Andrew had of showing these men to Jesus. But it is the same task we have today.

When People come to you do they see Jesus?

So, we have seen the request. These Greeks come to the feast and ask to see Jesus.

II. The Response Vs. 23-24. I love how nothing in scripture is wasted, not a single word or phrase!!

What does Jesus say has come in Vs. 23, “And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”

Vs. 23 is an interesting text for two reasons. 1. Doesn’t it seem odd to you that John mentions these Greeks coming and asking to see Jesus, but then we never hear what happens? They simply drop right out of the story. My guess is Jesus spoke with them but we are never told. (It seems random scripture but it’s not)

2. It is clear, by the way Jesus responds, that He sees this request from the Greeks as a pivotal point in His ministry. Up until now Jesus has repeatedly said that His time had not yet come. (The wedding in Cana)

But now, when these Greeks come seeking Him, He says, “the hour has come.”

What is the difference? Why is this moment so important?

This signals that salvation will be proclaimed to the whole world!! This is the turning point. The Jews have rejected Jesus as their Savior and now the Gentiles are going to hear the gospel!

John makes this point in a subtle way. He is contrasting the Pharisees with the Greeks. The Pharisees were the religious leaders in Israel. They should have accepted Jesus as their Messiah and Savior.

But instead, they rejected Him and wanted to kill Him. In contrast, the Greeks were seeking Him.

John wants us to see that the Jews’ rejection of Jesus did not ruin God’s plan of salvation; rather, it means good news for the world

Notice the illustration in Vs 24, “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.

What is Jesus talking about here? He is talking about His death on the cross and how it is going to be like a seed that is planted in the ground, and grows and bears fruit. (now that these Gentile worshippers come to Him He can see it is going to bear much fruit.)

So we have seen the request in Vs. 20-21. These Greek seekers come to see Jesus and they represent the Gentile world.

And we have seen the response in Vs. 23-24. Jesus recognizes this as a pivotal moment in His ministry. The Gospel is now poised to be taken to the whole world!!

III. The Requirement Vs. 25-26.

Jesus has told us He is going to lay down His life to serve God’s purpose in the world. Now He says, we have to do the same.

Notice Vs. 25, “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.

How do we love our lives to the point of losing it?

How does Jesus want us to hate our lives?

I want you to understand Jesus is not telling us we are not to enjoy life. (John 10:10)

The word hate in Vs. 25 is the word (misheo,) It means to love less. In other words, this is talking about our priorities.

What He is talking about here is; the person who denies Christ for the sake of the world, because they fear the rejection of people rather than God, or the person who is consumed by prosperity, popularity, and possessions, is not someone who is going to inherit eternal life!!

Matthew 10:32–33 ““Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.”

John follows Vs. 25 up with a statement in Vs. 26 giving assurance to those who follow Him and serve Him.

Notice Vs. 26, “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

There are two great promises for those who serve and follow Christ.

Where I Am, there my servant will be also!!

Let me ask you this; where is Jesus? Seated at the right hand of God in heaven. So, this is speaking of eternal life in heaven for the servant of Christ.

2. The Father will honor him.

Again this is speaking of the blessings of God in this life and eternity. The servant of Christ is the one who will hear that famous phrase we all want to hear when we get to heaven,; “job well done my good and faithful servant.”””

What we learn is that being a follower of Jesus Christ is well worth the cost!!

Conclusion

The Point: The cross teaches us the way to glory is through service to God and self denial.

This is the opposite of what the world believes. The world values being served and Christ says you must become a servant.

The greatest example Jesus set for us is how to be a servant!!