Falling of the Grain
Notes
Transcript
ME
Today is Palm Sunday, which marks the week before Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus riding on a donkey, and entering into Jerusalem. He is greeted by his people who saw him as the Messianic king. They shouted Hosanna, hosanna in the highest! It is a day charged with anticipation, and everyone expects surely Jesus will now galvanize his disciples and prepare for war.
WE
We too have many expectations of Jesus. We want him to bless us, but in the way we want to be blessed. We say we will follow him, but only up to the point where we feel comfortable. The moment the cost of discipleship is too high, we are tempted to back off. But if we expect him as a king, surely it isn’t what we expect of him but also what he expects of us. It is a transaction. Not a fair exchange, because God gave up far more than we ever could. Let’s dive into today’s passage with this in mind:
Glorify God this hour so we can deny our own lives and follow His.
GOD
We are looking today at chapter 12, half way into the Gospel of John. Originally, the Greek manuscript did not have chapters. But the story I am about to share is a pivotal story within chapter 12. A few things have just happened. Lazarus, Jesus’ friend has been raised from the dead in Chapter 11. The religious leaders have made up their mind to kill Jesus. In fact, Caiaphas the High Priest says this about Jesus:
50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”
These words, which are a prophecy, will be fully explored in today’s reading. At the beginning of chapter 12, woman had anointed Jesus in preparation for his burial. And of course, Jesus’ trimphal entry which we started with.
It is here where we pick up the story and the final image Jesus spoke about. As you recall, Jesus first described himself as a temple which will be destroyed and rebuild three days later. That’s his resurrection. And last week it was the bronze serpent raised on a wooden pole. That’s his crucifixion. Today, we are going to look at the metaphor of a grain of wheat. That’s the one death leading to God’s glorification.
The conversation began oddly enough. Some Greeks who were God-fearers wanted to meet Jesus before Passover. Perhaps they had heard of Jesus’ miraculous deeds and it piqued their curiosity.
20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
The Greeks probably went to Phillip because of his name, which is not Hebraic, but Greek. Phillip didn’t know what to do so he went to Andrew. They both went to Jesus. However, Jesus didn’t answer the Greeks’ request and we don’t hear of them anymore. But the mere fact they wanted to interview Jesus leads us to our first point:
I. The Hour has Come for the One Grain to Fall so Many Can Live (20-26)
I. The Hour has Come for the One Grain to Fall so Many Can Live (20-26)
23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 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.
All throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus has talked about the hour. It started at the wedding of Cana when Mary asked Jesus to turn water into wine. Jesus says the hour has not come yet.
Then,
30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.
And after that,
20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
But all of a sudden, Jesus’ response to the Greeks signaled a new epoch in Jesus’ ministry. It is the hour for the Son of Man, a term Jesus uses to describe himself and which echoes a prophetic description in Daniel 7. The term “Son of Man” implies he would be arrested. And tried. And convicted. And cruicfied. Jesus would now be glorified. Yet, here is the paradox. His glorification will come from his death. But not the Braveheart William Wallace marching into battle type of death. It is a humiliating, naked, criminal’s death.
Jesus knows.
He is the single grain of wheat which falls into the earth and dies. He is NOT going to fulfill the expectation of a Messiah who will storm into Jerusalem to take back Rome with military might. Or enter the temple and make the Pharisees and Sadducces do his bidding.
No, he is going to die. Where is the glory in that? The glory lies in God the Father’s plan for him. By his one death, many lives will spring up. There will be, symbolically, new wheat producing new fruit. This was the perfect will of the Father which the Son obeyed. Jesus goes on:
25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
Jesus expands this principle. His modelling of a physical death, his literal loss of life, opens the path to eternal life. But those who love their life will lose it. It’s addressed to his disciples. He say to look around at those who love their life as it is. They see no need for repentance. They want to maintain power and control. Look to the Sadducces and their love of power by placating the Romans. Look to the Pharisees and their life of hypocrisy, who demand that people follow the strict guidelines of their own version of Torah plus. Meanwhile they themselves do not follow Torah in the areas of money and helping the poor, even to honour their parents. Jesus is telling his disciples: “You need to leave that old life behind. Not just leave it, hate it. Hate it in proportion to how much you love this new eternal life with Jesus. Hate it enough that even if you have to give up your physical life, you will do it.” This is what it means to serve him, to follow him ultimately.
The other idea to note is for one to die so many would bear fruit. Or as the NLT translates it: it will be a “plentiful harvest of new life.” This is the heart of the Father. He desires many would have new life by the one. His son would bring blessings to his followers. And as followers of Jesus, we also desire our sacrifice to bless many others. What might that look like?
For some the stakes of denying themselves is very high. In places of the world where Christians are killed for their faith, the fruit of this is that many more are inspired to come to Jesus and the life he gives. Recently, I went for my sleep test and they ask you to bring some reading material. So I brought old newsletters from the Voice of the Martyrs. As I read the stories of Christians saved in Africa, in the Middle East, in South American. How they miraculously encountered God. How they are harassed by those who don’t understand or agree with shouts of disdain and taunts. Even disowned by their own family members. A father-in-law obssessed with deconverting his daughter. Threatening violence, punching. Falsely arresting the pastor, who is sent to hard labour, without being given a fair trial. Many ultimately lose their life, because they refuse to deny Jesus. This is what it truly can cost to follow Jesus. May we pray for them, and share their stories.
However, in North America, it’s costs differently. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge those here who have been a small group leader, a chair of a ministry, a sunday school teacher, a pastor or a deacon, or just serving somewhere within the church. You have all been seeds. You might not think it is much compared to the great a scope of what Jesus or the martyrs did. But you sacrifice your time when you come on Sunday to learn, when you prepare the small groups material, the sunday school content, the message. You are the ones who feel the obligation and responsibility to pray for those entrusted to your care. It requires the sacrifice of your energy. You are the ones who may be up late at night when someone calls you because they are in some sort of distress. And you need the wisdom of Solomon and grace of God to patiently listen to them, pray with them, and encourage them. Sometimes this is at the expense of family time. Or recreation time. These small sacrifices is what it means to deny yourself. But you may ask how is the other half of bearing fruit fuilfilled? You don’t see any fruits. I would argue the fruit often is not what you can see right now. The very fact brothers and sisters come back again to your small group after a week, two weeks, or a month means they find something valuable there. And it’s because you cultivated the space where they can meet Jesus and one another. Same goes to our Sunday school classes. The fruit may not be evident, but when you least expect it, someone will share something surprising and you realize how much they have thought about a lesson point.
This is why we are always asking for those who haven’t invested themselves in a ministry or someone else to begin. This is the way of Jesus. It’s the way you can grow, experience God, as we take care of one another.
However, there’s further meaning to the hour. Our second point:
II. The Hour has Come for the Father to be Glorified so Many will be Drawn (27-33)
II. The Hour has Come for the Father to be Glorified so Many will be Drawn (27-33)
27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
Again, Jesus mentions the hour. The hour has arrived. The hour is here. But we need to thank John for being so careful to record what Jesus says. Because what Jesus says is what’s going on in each and everyone of us who desires to have a relationship with God; being honest with God.
Jesus knows the hour has come for him to prepare for his sacrifice for all humanity. We are privileged to hear the internal struggle and dialogue Jesus has with his father. Fesus demonstrates his humanity and humility as he converses with the Father. It’s almost like back in the days when we read Shakespeare and learn the term soliliquy. A solilquy is when the character speaks out loud what he is thinking. We get to hear that.
What is Jesus going to say to the Father about the hour?
BRING IT ON?!
No, Jesus, fully human, wrestles with the implication of the hour, the suffering, and the sacrifice to come. This is why his soul is troubled. As he was troubled when Lazarus lay dead in the tomb and Mary cries and asks Jesus why he did not come sooner. Or troubled when he foretold that one of his chosen twelve would betray him. He is troubled at heart. If his soul wasn’t troubled, if there’s no wrestling, then we may actually believe what the Docetics believed: that Jesus was never fully human, only fully divine. If that were true, he would have never felt the tug of war between the choice of escape or obedience. He would have never truly suffered on the cross. Sometimes our portrayal of Jesus emphasizes his great power and foreknowledge, which makes him into a superhuman. But a superhuman is not truly human, and therefore can’t represent humanity. Humans are filled with doubts and struggles, fear and anxiety.
But Jesus struggled. He knew the implications. If the Father indeed answered his prayer to save him from the hour, he would not need to endure the shame and suffering, and be crucified like a hardened criminal. But his purpose is to be sent from heaven to earth so he can live the life of representative man, the perfect Adam. That he may die for and thus be representative of all humanity, through suffering shame, pain, and ultimately death. The judgment on sin had to be paid so that we may be acquited and reconciled to God who is righteous and cannot tolerate sin.
So the struggle is real, but Jesus’ resolve is just as real. Jesus made up his mind: He had to choose between saving himself, or endure the cross so the love of the Father can be fully displayed to humanity. Jesus willingly chooses the latter. Jesus lives for the Father’s glory! And what act can most reveal the character and heart of the Father, can glorify Him but for the son to obey his mission fully and win sinful humanity back into the embrace of the Father. The Father does not watch his son’s suffering, unmoved. Instead, he endures loss and suffering when he sees His Son suffer and die. He feels all that the Son feels. The Father responds: if this is what you want, then as I manifest my presence at your baptism and at your transfiguration, so now at the cross, and soon at your resurrection!
When I think about Jesus’ prayer, I am thankful we can have this honesty with God. And in just two chapters he will introduce the Holy Spirit, who is our counselor and comforter. But for now, Jesus models intimate prayer for us. Sometimes we look for our own solutions first, before finally coming back to him and pray. But no amount of human answer, reasoning, or explanation is sufficient. The only answer is not a propositional statement, but a person.
Jesus.
I know I can present my case to Jesus, even question him and express doubts, or frustrations, anger, and disappointment to him.
Can you be honest to the point of being seemingly disrespectful to God? Yes! God can, and does listen to our honest brokenness. Honest prayers are so liberating! And it is what God desires, afterall. If we come before God with a mask hiding our true feelings and desires, do you think God doesn’t know already? It’s not for his sake we need to be honest but for ours, so we can abandon our mask and bring our true self before our loving Father.
Finally:
30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
This leads us to the final implication of the hour: sin was judged, now another judgment has finally come. Those who trust in Jesus’ as the Son of God, who came to draw all people to himself, will be saved. Meanwhile, the servants of the prince of the world, who continue in defiance and do not acknowledge the glory shown on the cross will be cast out. They will have no part in the world to come. This includes all who are unrepentant. It does not matter if they are Jew or Gentile, Pharisee or Sadducce, Roman power or someone under their rule. The ruler himself, Satan, will be dethroned as Jesus is enthroned on the cross.
WE
The hour has already come. The line has been drawn, and Jesus desires to draw you into a life of denying yourselves for the sake of others to the glory of His father. He knows it will be tough, and shows us he cares about all the suffering we will encounter. But he promises to be with us.