Theme Passage: John 12:20-26

This incident was recorded only by John. The other 3 gospels did not mention it in their story. It is very fitting to see John write about it because John's Gospel was the one written to present the truth of Christianity in a way that the Greeks could appreciate and understand. This is the story where for the first time Greeks came to Jesus to ask questions. Perhaps these were tourists visiting Jerusalem or they could have been proselytes, converted to Judaism. The Greeks are known for their inquisitive mind. If you remember, they also confronted the apostle Paul with questions.

This was the last week of Jesus' ministry, just a few days before his crucifixion. Jesus has just cleansed the Temple and swept the money changers and sellers of doves from the Temple court. Jesus also had just cursed the fig tree for its being fruitless. The news about Jesus and what he has been doing is becoming well known in the city. Perhaps the Greeks heard about it or even saw him.

This is a great moment in the life of Jesus. Our theme today reveals what the gospel is going to be about. And that it is going to spread to the world.

Jesus was showing the people his abhorrence to fruitless and cosmetic Christianity. He rid of the fig tree that bore no fruit and he got rid of the money changers who make merchandise of the Temple.

It is this background when this scripture was spoken. Verse 23, Jesus said, the hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. The Jews have heard of the "son of Man" before. To them, he coming of the "Son of man" is the dream of the Jews, the golden age, when life would be sweeter and they would be masters of the world (see Daniel 7) They remembered what the prophets have written. So, when Jesus said the hour has come for the son of man, their attention was caught. Yet Jesus knew what was in their minds. They expected a different kind of glory. They expected the might of heaven to march on and vanquish the enemies. But Jesus spoke of a different glorification. By glorification, he meant the crucifixion and resurrection. I could just imagine them looking so perplexed with what Jesus said. The people expected a revolution from heaven that would bring about power to the Jewish nation. But Jesus spoke in terms on sacrifice and death.

I remember one time when I was a student at Ambassador. I had the opportunity to talk to one of the students from Japan who came here to study English during summer. I don't remember how we came to this conversation, but she said it is very difficult for the Japanese to understand a religion where their Savior was tortured and died on the cross. Many gentile nations, including the Greeks and the Jews, envision a conquering warrior as Messiah. It is something we can learn a lot from.... Because when we go to God and seek answers to our prayers, we may be expecting something more spectacular and grand. But God may want us to go through what Christ went through. The glory that God will bring may come from inside out.

Read verse 23-26 again. What an amazing paradox!

The kingdom of God is full of paradoxes.

It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Those who humble themselves are exalted.

Walk by faith and not by sight.

And now he tells us, "To die is to live." Jesus was predicting what is going to happen. His death. He was saying that only by death comes life. The grain of wheat was ineffective and unfruitful so long as it was preserved, as it were, in safety and security. It is when it was thrown into the cold ground, and buried there as if in a tomb, that it is given new life and able to bear fruit. You can count the number of seeds in an apple, but you cannot count the number of apples in a seed.

Here are spiritual principles we can glean from the verses:

Jesus was saying, just as it is true with the physical world, it is also true with the spiritual world.

1. Through the death of one seed, Jesus, eternal life for many is made possible. That is in essence the gospel. That is how important Christ’s sacrifice is. Without the sacrifice, we wouldn't have life.

JOH 12:32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."

But the lesson Jesus Christ brought about does not stop there. After predicting his own death through the analogy, he then focused his attention on how this paradox applies to men and women.

JOH 12:25 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.

2. The same spiritual principle applies to believers. To die is to live.

Jesus spent the last days of his life teaching his disciples true religion, a religion that is not fake. When he cursed the fig tree, he was cursing the false religion of those days. A religion that was full of junk. A religion that was mere cosmetic. In much the same way, God wants all the junk out of our lives. God does not care for cosmetic Christianity. The fig tree was condemned because it was not bearing the right fruits.

We too must disown the disdainful and arrogant authority of our selfish ego. In Jesus we must be willing to put to death our carnal nature. I know that life is a valuable commodity. All of us want to live. But we really want more than that. Being alive is one thing, really living is another. Not everyone who is alive really lives.

Many determine that the meaning of life is to be found in material possessions, so they set themselves to acquire them. Others determine that the meaning of life is to be found in pleasure, so they set out to indulge themselves. How many people spend more of their lives and resources for pleasure than for kingdom work? Others determine that the meaning of life is found in career, money or social standing. They become workaholics, greedy and class conscious. And the thing that all these have in common is relentless and desperate, frantic pursuit of these things. The sad reality of it all is that, even when they attain a measure of these things, they find themselves living empty lives.

GAL 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

That's where real life is lived. In Christ. We have several examples in the Bible of saints who understood. We also have examples today, living saints who may be struggling in their lives, yet they are living the life of Christ in them. There are people who put more value to their relationship with God than with their own physical lives. I invited Alan Rhodes to give his testimony. As you all know, Alan has gone through a lot of trials in life for the past several years. His testimony is worth hearing.

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In spite of all the trials he is going through (kidney transplant, etc.), God has been with him.

Our church is going through financial difficulties, very serious difficulties. Perhaps the same principle Jesus spoke applies to our congregation. Unless the wheat falls to the ground.... One seed willing to die brings about countless more. Just one person willing to give his life, his heart to God brings about fruits. I believe that God is looking at us today. How many of us in our fellowship have the same heart and mind of Jesus? You know, our problem is not financial. Our problem is not the lack of resources. The problem is in the heart. God wants to bless us. But He desires a heart that is willing to sacrifice, a heart that is willing to give its life. God wants seeds that desire to be planted.

Let us not be discouraged!

This work of God will flourish because it is God's work. God is working right at this moment in your heart. God is nudging us with his Spirit: Be humble. Harden not your hearts! He is just waiting for you and me to fully commit our lives before him. This work of God will multiply because there will be thousands of seeds who will be willing to give their lives.

The grain of wheat started it all. It became 120, then thousands and millions. Die that I might uproot all the superficial things, then I will put my Spirit in you.

Fishes and loaves analogy: They were given up and by being given up were able to feed thousands. Now Christ is saying the same to us. Don’t worry about your little resources or numbers! As long as we are willing to die in Christ, we will produce much fruit.

PSA 72:16 Let grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon; let it thrive like the grass of the field.

Let me be honest with you. I have seen much junk in my own life. I don't want to play cosmetics or Christianity. When I see my own personal interest and my own personal agenda being put as number one in my life, I don't grow.

Getting caught up into cosmetic Christianity. As a Christian, what is it that we are seeking after that is only cosmetic? We have to die first and be buried. Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for? How can we sit back in the beach of comfort when so many are still in the freezing waters shipwrecked? Remember the sinking of the Titanic.

What idol have we raised up in our lives and in our church? The wind will carry them all away.

We need revival. We need to pray that God will take away the junk and dross in our lives.

God is saying if you want a revival, then I want a contrite heart and a humble spirit. If you want revival in your life and your city, God is saying, come before me with a heart of contrition.

And we should pray, "God, it is not my righteousness. It is not my works, not my personal efforts, all that is blown away, but I make myself available to you. Let your glory instead fill my temple that I will have fruitfulness in my life. Lord, I don’t seek honor and praise, but I seek humility and fear of God. Bring fruit in our lives Lord, let there be a heart in each of us to be willing to die in Christ. So that we can be tools in your hands to set free those people in the valley of darkness and indecision, and that they will be set free from their own bondage. So that we can be instruments in setting people free from drugs, from alcohol, from suicide, from the plagues of the world, from the sin that presses so much weight to the world, letting it sink deep down in the cold waters of death, STDs and all these things can be stopped – oh God, and that you will push back the onslaught of non-Christian doctrines."

We receive encouragement from God. No matter it comes, it is a scripture from God and a message for you and me.

JER 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. :12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. :13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. :14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."