Sermon Tone Analysis

Perhaps the biggest news story to hit our area in recent years was what happened at the apartment complex just south of Fleet Farm in Beaver Dam the last several weeks.

It began with an explosion which killed a young man who was apparently handling some very volatile chemicals which are known to be used to make explosives.

What his intentions were is unclear.

There are those who villi fie him as a terrorist bomber intent on causing destruction and those who have spoken well of him citing his background which had little indication of a man with evil intent.

Regardless, an explosion ensued which took his life, damaged the apartment he was in, and caused the evacuation of many residents of that area.

The matter was concluded on Thursday when the building he lived in was burned down and the threat was removed.

One of the stories associated with this is the order that certain residents were not allowed to re enter their apartments to retrieve personal belongings.

Why not?

The authorities considered the situation to be too dangerous and that risking your life for personal possessions was not worth it.

This leads to my question for today?

What things in our lives are so important, that we would be willing to risk our very lives for them?

I ask this not because of the events that happened in Beaver Dam (although it serves as a timely introduction), but because of the events that happened in the life of Jesus as we approach the somber reflection of his sufferings and death and prepare for the celebration of Easter.

In this event which I just read, Jesus teaches that he is about to give (not just risk) his very life for something that is more important than him.

In his teaching, he repeats a common teaching of his of what we are to be willing to sacrifice for that which is most important for us.

“Skin for skin.”

What is Worth Dying For?

You invest in what is important to you?

How are you showing that your relationship with God is important to you?

We learn that there were some unnamed Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for “the festival”.

This is the Passover which is celebrated in the spring of the year.

It was a major festival that thousands would come to Jerusalem for from all over the nation and surrounding nations.

These men would have been “Proselytes” — converts to Jerusalem.

We can identify with them.

We will at times go to the big city for a special event.

How many of you have gone to Madison for the State Boys Basketball tournament?

Been to a major sporting event?

A concert?

A political rally?

The 500th anniversary celebration in Madison of the Reformation?

They wanted to see Jesus?

Have you ever gone to see a celebrity?

Elvis Presley?

A President of the USA?

A movie star?

A professional athlete?

People still crowd around celebrities just as people crowded to see Jesus.

I don’t know what they expected to hear from or witness about Jesus?

Did they expect a miracle as Herod would later?

Did they hope to hear a parable?

Perhaps a powerful teaching?

Regardless of what they expected, this is what they heard:

(NIV)

23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.

But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

As he often does, Jesus uses a somewhat veiled reference to what he is teaching.

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”

What does this mean?

Will it be another transfiguration?

Will he be exalted as the King of the Jews?

Will he do a miracle so powerful that even his opponents will believe in him?

He then uses a figure of speech — an illustration.

In order for a plant to reproduce, it must die.

But that seed which dies in ground produces many seeds.

Jesus would be glorified by dying so that he could produce many followers of God.

He is willing to give up his life for our souls.

(In keeping with our question for today.)

25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.

My Father will honor the one who serves me.

He then teaches (again) what our priorities are to be.)

Most people would agree that their life is the most precious thing in the world.

Satan himself spits out this truth when he says in Job (NIV)

4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied.

“A man will give all he has for his own life.

5 But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

He believed that Job would consider his life so precious, that he would deny God so that he would have a better life.

Unfortunately, many people today are more like Satan than Job.

We value our lives and consider it a threat if someone invites or commands us to give up our time, talents, treasures, and freedoms in order to pursue the kingdom of heaven.

Even though Jesus teaches us to seek first the kingdom of God, we invest far more money in entertainment, cell phones, personal care items, gasoline than we do in the support of our congregation.

We may give up an hour here or there to worship at church but that becomes difficult when someone schedules a sporting event for the same time.

I had a conversation with a member who indicated she might come to church on Wednesday evening.

When I told her on Friday (after she did not attend on Wednesday) that I had expected to see her on Wednesday evening, she apologetically informed me that she had to go shopping instead.

I still am ashamed that when I was at the seminary, I took off from work on Good Friday on the premise that I was going to church that afternoon.

I went golfing instead.

Jesus says that whoever loves their family more than him is not worthy of him but how often don’t we keep silent in the face of our family member’s sins because we don’t want to rile them up.

St. Paul teaches Timothy that in his ministry, he would encounter many people who consider money more important that the one who gives us money.

(NIV)