JESUS AS KING
Sacrifice and Service before Glory
John 12:20-28
20 Now some Greeks were among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 So they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested of him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. (John 12:20-22)
23 Jesus replied to them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit. 25 The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me. Where I am, there my servant also will be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. �(John 12:23-26)
27 “Now my soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” (John 12:27-28)
20 Now some Greeks were among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 So they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested of him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. (John 12:20-22)
D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary
“These Greeks were not necessarily from Greece: as elsewhere in the New Testament, the term refers to Gentiles who come from any part of the Greek-speaking world, possibly even a Greek city as near as the Decapolis. That they were God-fearing is intimated by John’s remark that they went up to worship at the Feast (sc. of Passover, 12:1).”
D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary
“Like Cornelius (Acts 10) or the centurion who loved the Jews and built them a synagogue (Lk. 7:5), such Greeks admired much that they saw in Judaism without becoming official converts, and sometimes attended the great Jewish festivals in Jerusalem, where they were admitted to the court of the Gentiles.”
JESUS TOWARDS THE GENTILES
Matthew 10:5-6; Matthew 15:22-24
23 Jesus replied to them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit. 25 The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me. Where I am, there my servant also will be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. �(John 12:23-26)
“The hour/the time”
John 2:4; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27 [2×]; 13:1; 16:32; 17:1
23 Jesus replied to them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit. 25 The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me. Where I am, there my servant also will be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. �(John 12:23-26)
Colin G. Kruse, John: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 4, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries
“The primary reference was to Jesus’ own death. Just as a kernel of wheat ‘dies’ when it is planted but then produces many seeds as it sprouts and the plant grows to maturity, so too Jesus would die, but the effects of his death would be a vast harvest of people who through faith in him would find eternal life.
The coming of the Greeks made Jesus think of the great harvest (not only among Jews but also among Gentiles) that would occur following his death.”
1 Corinthians 15:35-38
“But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? What kind of body will they have when they come?” You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for what you sow — you are not sowing the body that will be, but only a seed, perhaps of wheat or another grain. But God gives it a body as he wants, and to each of the seeds its own body.”
23 Jesus replied to them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit. 25 The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me. Where I am, there my servant also will be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. �(John 12:23-26)
1.) To See and Receive His Glory, We Must Lose Our Lives.
John 12:25
Matthew 10:39
“Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it.”
John 11:25-26
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?””
1 John 2:15, 17
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
“And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.”
Do we want to lose our lives to find all that He has for us?
Matthew 16:26
“For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life?”
Exodus 20:4-5a
“4 Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. 5 Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them…”
Reflection
What have you yet to say “Yes” to giving up in living out the life of Christ? What do you have to do make that decision?
Are we willing to die to ourselves to see the glory of Christ reproduced in our lives?
23 Jesus replied to them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit. 25 The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me. Where I am, there my servant also will be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. �(John 12:23-26)
2.) We must reproduce the life and glory of Jesus through Service
John 12:26
Matthew 4:19, NASB
“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.”
John 14:23
“Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
John 13:14-15
14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you.
It begins and continues in service being wrapped in truth and action. Just like our Savior.
Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Romans 10:14-15
“14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.”
2Peter 3:9
“The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.”
Matthew 25:23
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’
Application
Who will you serve sacrificially this season? How do you want to reflect Christ’s example in your life? Make this a prayer point this week and commit to it.
Ask God to refine your motivation in service.
27 “Now my soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” (John 12:27-28)
John 18:37
“You are a king then?” Pilate asked.
“You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
27 “Now my soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” (John 12:27-28)
Philippians 2:10-11
“10 so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
in heaven and on earth
and under the earth—
11 and every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”
RECAP
To See and Receive His Glory, We Must Lose Our Lives.
We must reproduce the life and glory of Jesus through Service
Let’s Discuss
What is your takeaway from today’s message?
Is Jesus emphasizing “sacrifice” or “service” for you today and why?
What is your takeaway from today’s message?