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Dying as a Means of Living.
November 30, 2008
*John 12:20-26*
* *
We must all be prepared to stand before “The Judgment Seat” of Christ to give account for our lives – our thoughts, our words, and our deeds.
This is Henry Blackaby’s theme in the August 29th reading in Experiencing God Day-by-Day.
/For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or bad//.—/2
Corinthians 5:10
There are many motivations in the Christian's life.
One is our awareness that one day we will give an account of our lives to Christ, as He sits in judgment upon humanity.
It is much more comforting to believe that Christians will be ushered into heaven with no questions asked about our faithfulness upon earth, but that is not what Scripture says will happen.
Paul cautioned that in the final day of judgment every Christian will give an account for his or her actions.
This expectation terrified Paul and motivated him to strive to please God in everything he did (2 Cor.
5:9–11).
Paul knew that although he might ignore the Spirit's quiet voice during His life on earth, a time of accounting would come when he would have to explain why he had rejected God's instructions.
Paul never carelessly assumed that, because of all he had done for God's kingdom, God would overlook his sin.
Instead, he understood that to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48).
God does not force His will upon us.
He /will /ask us to answer for the way we responded to Him.
Christians have been pardoned by the sacrifice of Jesus.
We are not condemned.
But because God is absolutely just, we will be called on to give an account of our actions.
The Christian life gives a tremendous freedom, but it also brings a pervasive sense of our accountability to God and to others.
We can learn from Paul that accountability is healthy; it gives us a powerful motivation to please God.
Our key passage for this morning from John 12 focuses on the cross, the reason Christ came to earth.
As advent starts today, and we start the four weeks of fixing our thoughts on Jesus first coming, we must never forget why He came.
John 12:27 states Jesus’ purpose clearly.
Listen to what it says: /"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./
I love that phrase, “Jesus is the reason for the season.”
But I have to always remember as I sing “Oh, Come let us adore Him,” that my adoration has to move from the cradle to the cross; without the cross, I wouldn’t be standing here.
And you wouldn’t be sitting there!
Our faith and hope are built on Jesus coming to die for our sins.
So, today’s message focuses on our new birth through His imminent death.
Let’s look at John 12, verses 20-26 together – please turn there now.
Jesus knew His crucifixion lay ahead, and because He was human, He dreaded it.
He knew He would have to take the sin of the world on Himself.
He wanted to be delivered from this horrible death, but He knew His Father sent Him into the world to die in our place.
I believe crucifixion was heavy on His heart and mind as He spoke to these Greeks who sought Him out through Philip.
Let’s read John 12:20-26.
/Now there were certain Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; these therefore 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 they 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 by itself 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 shall keep it to life eternal.
If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him."
/
Winter is for doing what these Greeks wanted to do.
Verse 21 says they came to Philip and said, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."
Winter is for seeing and showing Christ.
We want to see Jesus, they said.
And I say, I do too.
That is what I want to happen in my life this winter.
I want to see him so clearly and so powerfully that I am changed from one degree of glory to another into his image so that I can show him to others more compellingly.
Christmas is such a wonderful opportunity for us to point people to Jesus, and to grow closer to Him ourselves.
As we buy gifts, we remember He is “the indescribable gift.”
(2 Cor 9:15)
So did they get to see him—these Greeks?
Most likely they did.
But the way Jesus handled the request is probably not what they expected.
They said, "We wish to see Jesus."
So Philip and Andrew came and told Jesus (v.
22).
Does he show himself to them?
Yes he does.
The same way he shows himself to us—with truth about himself that becomes a truth about us.
This is the way Jesus appears in power: he gives truth about himself that exposes truth about us.
He says in verse 23,
So there are Greeks who want to see me?
Here is the truth about me that matters for Greeks who want to see me and know me: The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
/I am on my way to glory.
I really will be something to see.
They are right to want to see me.
I will be the most glorious person to behold in the universe when my Father raises me from the dead and gives me a name which is above every name that at my name every knee will bow—including the Greeks and the barbarians.
Yes, they are right to /want to see me—and even want to be identified with me.
But here is a truth that they may not expect.
Verse 24:
/Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
/This is a beautiful picture of the necessary sacrifice of Jesus.
All you who are farmers know, unless a kernel of wheat is planted, it will not reproduce will it?
Jesus had to die in order for His life to be reproduced in us, didn’t He?
In order for us to bring glory to Him, he chose a pathway to glory through death.
He said, “I will indeed bear much seed —including Greeks—But I will not and I cannot bear this seed any way but through dying.
Tell the Greeks that I will not come to them now, because I have a hard work to do so that I might bear them as the seed of my life and ministry.
If I leave the road I'm on to go and be seen by men, I will remain alone and you and the Greeks will not be saved.
But if I go and die on my way to glory, then I will bear much seed—you will be saved and the Greeks will be saved, and all who believe in me will be saved.”
This is what He wanted them to see.
See Him dying.
See Him bearing seed.
That is the truth about Jesus that he reveals to the Greeks.
But now it also becomes a truth about us.
Jesus' self- revelation is always a confrontation.
He says in verses 25 and 26: my dying for your salvation is also my design for your imitation.
If you want to see me, be prepared to become like me.
This is what happens.
Do you mean it?
Do you say, "I wish to see Jesus"?
Do you want it this morning?
Jesus says, If you mean it — if you want to see me — prepare to become like me.
Prepare to follow me on the road I am going.
So he says, (v.
25): He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal.
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