John 12:20-33 Lifted Up For All
John 12:20-33 Lifted Up For All
20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. 21 They came to Philip [only Greek disciple name- according to Keener], who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
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.
27 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!"
Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
30 Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
(from New International Version)
What is the secret to life? Groucho Marx said, "The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that you’ve got it made."
But really- now Jesus seems to be teaching something here in our scripture today about the true way to live.
Seeds- listen to Peggy talk about seeds
Basically- as I understand it, [Roll with this- as I have been thinking] A kernel of wheat above ground is a kernel of wheat. Below ground it is seed. If it does not enter into the soil environment- all the nutrients, moisture and such- its life will be one of death. But if it its taken out of its confines and placed in earth- it can multiply and reproduce itself.
Seeds have potential
So this, we see, is related to hating and loving life
Life- what does it mean "who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."
Self-Life vs. God-Life
The self life is like a kernel of wheat that stays on a shelf or in a jar- in storage- wherever. As long as it is there it is just a single seed. It exists. It has potential for life. But its potential to give life is locked in with the reality that it would have to give up its current state of existence. It would have to die to its current way of living and it doesn’t, so therefore it never uses its potential to produce life. By saving its life it loses life. The lonely, selfish seed never finds the purpose of life. Never loves neighbor, never gives mind, soul and body to God in worship. The selfish seed lives life for itself- what a hellish way to live.
The with God-life is like a kernel of wheat that chooses to see beyond its current situation. It looks inward at the potential God has placed inside it. A potential for more life- more beauty, more goodness and so forth. This seed is no longer as concerned with itself- instead it is concerned with connecting with the giver of Life- returning to earth- and allowing God and God’s beautiful system of nature to unlock its potential for life giving. Because it looks straight at its selfish life and says, "I choose to believe that there is more than this," the seed dies- and becomes a source of life, love and encouragement for others. This seed would never go back to the selfish way it used to live before being enlightened by God- it hates that it used to be so selfish. Its hatred is not of others, it is not of its created self- no it’s the former way it lived- it hates the way of death. And because it hates selfishness and death, the seed, the person truly lives.
Kathleen Norris a great Christian author, says of life, "Life is easier than you’d think; all that is necessary is to accept the impossible do without the indispensable and bear the intolerable."
We are to love the unloveable- even ourselves. We are to forgive the unforgiveable- even ourselves.
God seems incredibly unfair sometimes. I heard a sermon on this recently. God’s justice is just not fair. Have you heard the story of the Prodigal son returning. He spends his family money on wild living- gets stuck working with pigs- decides to come home and plead for his father to accept him as a servant. You see the son had asked for his inheritance early, he wanted out of the house and wanted to pretend and live life as if his father were already dead. Now he had to go home and plead for a job from this very same father. It would have been fair for the father to give him a job and maybe even charge him room and board, since the son had essentially wished the father dead by asking for an early inheritance. But this father instead runs to his child. Has him wear his best clothes and jewelry and throws a big party/barbecue to celebrate his return. The brother of this returning son is ticked off- his father has been unfair. But this is God’s love. He will pay the workers who work the whole day the same as he pays the workers who work just the last hour.
Unfair love. Will you forgive yourself today- though it is the same sin you did last week or whatever. Will you forgive your spouse, your child, your neighbor, your parent, your family member- even though they treated you as if you were dead.
Will you be a kernel of wheat that just sits on the shelf and mopes - or will you be a seed, not willing to stand for the status quo- looking beyond the way things are and seeing the way things could be in the with God life. In the soil, nutrients and moisture of God’s life. Will you burrow yourself into God and allow the unfairness of God’s love, beauty and forgiveness to flow from your lips, hands and heart?
I know there are people hanging on to old hurts in this church. I know some of you may be mad at an another church- or a parent- or yourself- well give up. Die. Let God be God- the unfair God of love- the God who can bring life out of death
You see, our God was lifted up for all. Not just some. Not just for the easy stuff. Not just for the little white lies. No, Our God- was lifted up for it all. To set all our relationships right. To have us give up even our deepest hurts and pains. God wants all His children back. God wants all his children to get out of selfish life and get to the life of beauty, of love of forgiveness. God wants us to unfairly love others- just as he unfairly loved us. He died in our place- he took the sin that was ours- he took it upon himself- he went into the depths of hell to set the captives free- he didn’t have to- he did it because he loves us and wants us to love others with the same kind of self-giving love.
He is drawing you to the cross today. What do you need to let go of? What do you need to forgive? Who do you need to be unfair to?
Confession is an ancient Christian practice- I ask you to please look at the insert in your bulletin and fill out the bottom of it. In order to follow you Jesus help me with.... [you fill in the blank] This can be anonymous. But if you want to put your name, so that I can help you in this journey fill in your name. This is part of your worship today- I strongly encourage you to do it.
Its important to put something into paper. Its important to confess out loud or in written form sometimes- it gets out of our little self world- and into God’s world. So don’t chicken out- what do you honestly need help with.
Do you have a violent temper? Do you have a secret addiction. Maybe you watch too much TV. Maybe you need to forgive an abusive parent. Maybe you need to forgive yourself for something.
What have you been keeping to yourself- that is keeping from living more deeply buried in the with God-life
What seed potential do you have- that you could give to become something you were destined to be.
Your are loved. You are forgiven. You have been called to be a light of love, a fountain of forgiveness a bearer of beauty- I am excited to see God work in me and in you.
20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. 21 They came to Philip [only Greek disciple name- according to Keener], who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
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.
27 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!"
Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
30 Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
(from New International Version)
What is the secret to life? Groucho Marx said, "The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that you’ve got it made."
But really- now Jesus seems to be teaching something here in our scripture today about the true way to live.
Seeds- listen to Peggy talk about seeds
Basically- as I understand it, [Roll with this- as I have been thinking] A kernel of wheat above ground is a kernel of wheat. Below ground it is seed. If it does not enter into the soil environment- all the nutrients, moisture and such- its life will be one of death. But if it its taken out of its confines and placed in earth- it can multiply and reproduce itself.
Seeds have potential
So this, we see, is related to hating and loving life
Life- what does it mean "who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."
Self-Life vs. God-Life
The self life is like a kernel of wheat that stays on a shelf or in a jar- in storage- wherever. As long as it is there it is just a single seed. It exists. It has potential for life. But its potential to give life is locked in with the reality that it would have to give up its current state of existence. It would have to die to its current way of living and it doesn’t, so therefore it never uses its potential to produce life. By saving its life it loses life. The lonely, selfish seed never finds the purpose of life. Never loves neighbor, never gives mind, soul and body to God in worship. The selfish seed lives life for itself- what a hellish way to live.
The with God-life is like a kernel of wheat that chooses to see beyond its current situation. It looks inward at the potential God has placed inside it. A potential for more life- more beauty, more goodness and so forth. This seed is no longer as concerned with itself- instead it is concerned with connecting with the giver of Life- returning to earth- and allowing God and God’s beautiful system of nature to unlock its potential for life giving. Because it looks straight at its selfish life and says, "I choose to believe that there is more than this," the seed dies- and becomes a source of life, love and encouragement for others. This seed would never go back to the selfish way it used to live before being enlightened by God- it hates that it used to be so selfish. Its hatred is not of others, it is not of its created self- no it’s the former way it lived- it hates the way of death. And because it hates selfishness and death, the seed, the person truly lives.
Kathleen Norris a great Christian author, says of life, "Life is easier than you’d think; all that is necessary is to accept the impossible do without the indispensable and bear the intolerable."
We are to love the unloveable- even ourselves. We are to forgive the unforgiveable- even ourselves.
God seems incredibly unfair sometimes. I heard a sermon on this recently. God’s justice is just not fair. Have you heard the story of the Prodigal son returning. He spends his family money on wild living- gets stuck working with pigs- decides to come home and plead for his father to accept him as a servant. You see the son had asked for his inheritance early, he wanted out of the house and wanted to pretend and live life as if his father were already dead. Now he had to go home and plead for a job from this very same father. It would have been fair for the father to give him a job and maybe even charge him room and board, since the son had essentially wished the father dead by asking for an early inheritance. But this father instead runs to his child. Has him wear his best clothes and jewelry and throws a big party/barbecue to celebrate his return. The brother of this returning son is ticked off- his father has been unfair. But this is God’s love. He will pay the workers who work the whole day the same as he pays the workers who work just the last hour.
Unfair love. Will you forgive yourself today- though it is the same sin you did last week or whatever. Will you forgive your spouse, your child, your neighbor, your parent, your family member- even though they treated you as if you were dead.
Will you be a kernel of wheat that just sits on the shelf and mopes - or will you be a seed, not willing to stand for the status quo- looking beyond the way things are and seeing the way things could be in the with God life. In the soil, nutrients and moisture of God’s life. Will you burrow yourself into God and allow the unfairness of God’s love, beauty and forgiveness to flow from your lips, hands and heart?
I know there are people hanging on to old hurts in this church. I know some of you may be mad at an another church- or a parent- or yourself- well give up. Die. Let God be God- the unfair God of love- the God who can bring life out of death
You see, our God was lifted up for all. Not just some. Not just for the easy stuff. Not just for the little white lies. No, Our God- was lifted up for it all. To set all our relationships right. To have us give up even our deepest hurts and pains. God wants all His children back. God wants all his children to get out of selfish life and get to the life of beauty, of love of forgiveness. God wants us to unfairly love others- just as he unfairly loved us. He died in our place- he took the sin that was ours- he took it upon himself- he went into the depths of hell to set the captives free- he didn’t have to- he did it because he loves us and wants us to love others with the same kind of self-giving love.
He is drawing you to the cross today. What do you need to let go of? What do you need to forgive? Who do you need to be unfair to?
Confession is an ancient Christian practice- I ask you to please look at the insert in your bulletin and fill out the bottom of it. In order to follow you Jesus help me with.... [you fill in the blank] This can be anonymous. But if you want to put your name, so that I can help you in this journey fill in your name. This is part of your worship today- I strongly encourage you to do it.
Its important to put something into paper. Its important to confess out loud or in written form sometimes- it gets out of our little self world- and into God’s world. So don’t chicken out- what do you honestly need help with.
Do you have a violent temper? Do you have a secret addiction. Maybe you watch too much TV. Maybe you need to forgive an abusive parent. Maybe you need to forgive yourself for something.
What have you been keeping to yourself- that is keeping from living more deeply buried in the with God-life
What seed potential do you have- that you could give to become something you were destined to be.
Your are loved. You are forgiven. You have been called to be a light of love, a fountain of forgiveness a bearer of beauty- I am excited to see God work in me and in you.
posted by Palouse Fed. Church at 9:45 PM
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