The Gospel According to John 12:20-36 [NLTse]
20 Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration 21 paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.” 22 Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus.
23 Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. 25 Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. 26 Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.
27 “Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! 28 Father, bring glory to your name.”
Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.” 29 When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.
30 Then Jesus told them, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. 32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” 33 He said this to indicate how he was going to die.
34 The crowd responded, “We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?”
35 Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. 36 Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”
After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.
Sermon
I’ve been trying to think about what I want written on my gravestone. Here are some of my options so far:
Benjamin Park Willis – He was a successful pastor
Benjamin Park Willis – He accumulated great wealth and possessions
Benjamin Park Willis – He knew how to party and have a good time
Benjamin Park Willis – He was a great philanthropist
Benjamin Park Willis – He was a selfless humanitarian
Benjamin Park Willis – He paid his bills, provided for his family, and stayed out of jail…
As our reading begins Jewish pilgrims from all over the Roman Empire and surrounding lands have begun arriving in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Among them would have been “God-fearing Gentiles”, as they were called, who, although not having converted to Judaism, regularly attended such festivals to worship the God of Israel. As Neil just read, among these “God-fearers” were some Greeks who had heard about Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead and who were looking to meet Him, and to meet Lazarus.
These Gentiles seeking Him seems to be a signal to Jesus from the Father that the time had finally arrived for Him to be glorified, and in doing so to glorify the Father: That is, for Jesus to draw peoples’ attention to Himself, and by doing so, to draw their attention to the Father!
Of course, He knew this would result ultimately in His death – that His death would create such a spectacle that He would have the undivided attention of each and every one of the thousands who had traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover Celebration! (His resurrection would be a part of His being glorified and drawing attention to Himself and onto the Father, and His ascending to Heaven would be a part of His being glorified and drawing attention to Himself and onto the Father, too, but at the heart of Jesus’ glorification was the cross…)
Likewise, in his first letter to the Corinthians the apostle Paul writes, “Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, Who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must [glorify] God with your body.” (6:19-20) And summarizing the whole testimony of Scripture in response to the love God has shown us in Jesus, The Westminster Shorter Catechism states that “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” That is, that humanity’s primary purpose for existing is to draw one anothers’ attention to God, and to enjoy God forever.”
That’s why you exist; that’s why I exist: To draw peoples’ attention to God and enjoy Him always.
Preacher, philosopher, and theologian Jonathan Edwards, widely acknowledged to be America’s most important and original philosophical theologians and one of our nation’s greatest intellectuals, took this business of glorifying God very seriously. Here are several resolutions Edwards put forward as to how he would live for God’s glory:
“1. Resolved, Never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God, nor be, nor suffer it, if I can possibly avoid it.” So he resolved to never do anything that didn’t direct others’ attention to God in a way that made God look good. Like Thumper’s mother who said, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all,” Edwards resolved that if what he needed to do couldn’t glorify, or if he couldn’t do it in a way that brought God fame, then he wouldn’t do it at all.
“2. Resolved, Frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God.” Jonathan Edwards looked for crazy ways to draw peoples’ attention to God. Picking up all the trash around some store or business, putting all the carts away at the grocery store, asking if he could mow his neighbor’s lawn or shovel his driveway without being asked first, etc… He looked around him for opportunities to be merciful or gracious that nobody considered to be in their right mind would do, and then gave God credit for it when people asked why.
“3. Resolved, That no other end but religion have any influence at all on any of my actions.” That is, everything he did he was going to do for God.
“4. Resolved, To strive every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.” To not be content to remain at the same level of intimacy with Christ and the same level of zeal to those around him, but to grow more and more gracious week by week, more and more loving, more self-sacrificing, more obedient to God’s Spirit: To grow!
“5. Resolved, Never to do anything but my duty, and then, according to Eph. vi. 6-8 to do it willingly and cheerfully, as unto the Lord, and not to man: knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.” So, not just to do everything for God but to do everything as though doing it to God: Working for our employer as though he or she was God; doing our schoolwork as though our teacher were God; living together around our homes as though our parents or our children or our husbands or our wives were the Lord God Himself, and not some human whom we could treat in lesser ways.
“6. Resolved, That I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.” Each decision made, each action taken, from the perspective of what he might have wished to have done as he was dying.
?
“7. Resolved, To live with all my might, while I do live.” To live abundantly and to Christ’s fullest!
The Westminster Shorter Catechism states that “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” So I guess I could add to my list:
Benjamin Park Willis – He glorified God, and always enjoyed Him…
I don’t know about all of you but I think I’m going to hope for that one.