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Day 25 - The Journey to the Cross, 2

Today's reading is from John 12: 20-50

In the few short days before the Passover, and the cross, Jesus moves steadily towards Jerusalem, and the eventual confrontation with the Roman authorities and the leaders of the Jewish religious institution.

John 12:20-21 (NIV)
20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast.
21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus."


The "Greeks" (from the Greek word "Hellen" for Hellenists) were Gentiles. The "world" outside of Israel was beginning to turn to Jesus. It is a prophetic symbol of the effects of his death, burial and resurrection, that the church would come into being and both Jew and Gentile would be unified as the people of God. They went to Philip because he was from Bethsaida, a border town in the north that had many Greek speaking citizens, and so he seemed the perfect person to approach. Philip told Andrew and they went together to Jesus.

Jesus' reply to all of this is what we must hear: John 12:23-26 (NIV)
23 Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
24 I tell you the truth, 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.
25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his 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.


The kernel must go into the ground and die. Should it stay on top of the soil it will not produce, but if it falls into the ground and is buried, it will live and produce many more. Again, the symbolism is clear. Jesus is predicting his death and resulting effects of it...many more seeds, including Gentiles will come. But there is more, because what he says after this makes another point. It is not simply true of him that he must die, but also of us, and all who would choose to follow him. This is not limited to the physical death, it is the essence of "dying daily"...losing our lives for the sake of Christ' Kingdom...choosing to put his will first, in obedience, and in loving service for the sake of the Kingdom. We serve Him first and in dying to self, we live.

As a young Christian - in my early 20's - I was confronted by this and determined to do what I could to choose the will of Christ over my own wherever and whenever I could. I made up cards with the words "if it dies" on them and pasted them all over the place - the bedroom, the bathroom mirror, the countertop in the kitchen, the doors, the inside of the car...wherever I would see them daily, frequently and it kept reminding me that there is the continual need to die to self. This is the need for those of us who say we want to follow Jesus.

Unfortunately, not all want to do that. There were those in the crowd who did not all turn to him in belief. John 12:37-50 (NIV)
37 Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.
38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: "Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"
39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
40 "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them."
41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.


What does our "not believing" look like? It might be a religious veneer that covers over blindness to our own self, and deadness in the heart to the things of God. In that case there is no "seeing" and there is no "understanding"...no emotional response. It is good to ask the question, where do I no longer feel a desire to ask 'is this your will, Lord?'; 'am I doing this correctly Lord?'

42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;
43 for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.
44 Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me.
45 When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me.
46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
47 "As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.
48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.
49 For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.
50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."


Our response to Jesus is either conditioned by our fear of what others will say, or by our desire to know God, and therefore forgiveness of sins, and life. Jesus came to save, and judgement is not his goal. We are our own worst enemies. It is our decision...Jesus leads to eternal life and that is all there is.

Peace

If you're reading along with me in the "Bible-in-a-year" then read 2 Samuel 13, 14, 15 today.

Comments

Paul said…
I don't know why it took so long for that concept to take hold in my life-dying to self. I must have heard it in church before. Wasn't I listening. Surely I was blind to that until God opened my eyes. I only ask him to open my eyes further to this, so I can truly know what it is to die to self. Jesus gave a great example of how to do it. That is why it is so important to focus on Jesus not just on Sunday, but everyday. We need to take him with us wherever we go. Scripture also gives us a hint on how to "die to self"...."apart from me you can do nothing".

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