Jesus prayed, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you” (John 17:1).
John 12:20-33
Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 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. 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. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
“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. Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
Dear friends in Christ,
It wasn’t a spur of the moment thing. It was a well thought out, meticulous plan. Conceived at the beginning, it was years before it came true. When the time was right, God set his plan of salvation into motion.
The plan was conceived immediately after the very first sin. In the garden, God promised that one day a descendant of the woman would come and crush the power of the devil. It was a promise God’s people held to for thousands of years. And then we’re told, “When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons” (Galatians 4:4,5).
God sent his Son into the world at just the right time. One nation ruled the world (Rome). There was one universal language (Greek). Roads and commerce allowed people to travel easily between countries. All of the above would enable the gospel to spread quickly.
The child was born in the town of Bethlehem, as promised by Scripture. He was raised in Galilee. When he began his ministry, he called twelve men to be his followers. He began to preach and to teach. He performed miracles, which proved that he really was who he claimed to be. Many believed. Many did not.
The plan began to build momentum when he entered the city of Jerusalem for the last time, riding on a donkey. The people cheered. The time had come. This was it. There was no turning back. Our Scripture Lesson for today reveals:
God’s Plan Set Into Motion
- It led to tragic consequences
- It ended in glorious victory
As out text begins, it is Tuesday of Holy Week. One last time, Jesus entered the temple courtyards. This would be the last time he would publicly teach.
Since this was the week of the Passover Festival, pilgrims from around the world had gathered in the temple courtyards. We’re told that some Greeks were there. Apparently, they had heard of Jesus and wanted to meet him. They approached Philip and asked if he would introduce them. Philip took the request to Andrew, and together they approached Jesus. This request reminded Jesus of why he came. He said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:23). The time had come for the plan to be set into motion.
I know we’ve covered this before, but for the sake of everyone here, let’s go over it again. Let’s talk about the plan. What exactly was it?
As previously mentioned, it all goes back to creation. God had originally created man and woman to be perfect. They had been created in God’s image. But then, tempted by the devil, they sinned. As a result, the perfect bond that once existed between a perfect and holy God and human beings was broken.
Just so you understand, sin was never part of the plan. God had fully intended to live forever with his creation in perfection and holiness. But when Adam and Eve sinned, that was no longer possible. Sin now had to be paid for. So, what was God to do? Should he send his creation to hell and start over? No. This would be his plan: one day he would send his own Son into the world. He would have his Son become human. He would live the perfect life we never could. And then, in an amazing act of love, God would punish his Son so that his death would cover the payment of sin. And then three days later, his Son would rise, proving that he really was who he claimed to be, the Son of God and Savior of the world. And finally, God promised that all who believe in his Son to be their Lord and Savior, he declares them justified. Their sins are gone – paid for with the blood of his Son. Only then would the perfect bond between God and man be restored. Only then would human beings be able to live forever with him in heaven.
That was the plan. There was no turning back. God had set the plan into motion.
Jesus was fully aware of what the plan required. He knew it would lead to tragic consequences. He knew he was going to die. Speaking in the temple courts he said, “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” (John 12:24).
The principal of life through death is seen in the plant world. The kernel of wheat has to die for there to be a plant. In the same way, Jesus would have to die, so that you and I might live.
Of course, those who heard Jesus that day didn’t fully understand what he was talking about. But soon they would. By the end of the week, people he came to save would be calling for his death. He would be arrested. He would be spit on. He would be beaten. He would be mocked and forced to wear a crown of thorns. And then he would be beaten again. He would be forced to carry his own cross to the site of execution. He would nailed to a cross and then hoisted up into the air. And to make it worse, people would gather around. Some would continue to mock him. Others came just hoping to catch of glimpse of this tragic scene. It would be horrible. It would be tragic. And it was only days away from taking place.
Jesus now offers us a rare glimpse into his own thoughts. He knew what was coming. He knew about the pain and humiliation. He knew that he would soon die. But he also knew something, that Lord willing, we will never know. He knew that in just days, he would have the weight of the world’s sins placed on his shoulders, including all of yours and mine. And when that weight was placed on him, his Father was going to reject him. He would turn his back on him. For three hours, as he hung on that cross, the day turned to night, and Jesus was all alone.
Thankfully, we’ll never have to experience something like that. God has promised us that he will “never leave us or forsake us” (Hebrews 13:5). We have his promise that even in our darkest hour, he will always be there. We are never alone!
Although we can’t even begin to imagine what that was like…try. Just try to imagine what it would be like to have the entire world’s sins resting on your shoulders and then, just when you need him, God the Father turns his back on you. You are on your own. The burden would be crushing. We could never do it. No way! How easy it would have been for Jesus to say, “Forget it. I’m not doing this. I’m not going through all that for these people. Why should I? Forget about them. Let them all rot in hell, that’s what they deserve. No way. I’m not going through with it.”
Thankfully, that didn’t happen because this is that Jesus said, “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. Father, glorify your name!” (John 12:27, 28).
It could have been so easy for Jesus to have just walked away. But he didn’t. Instead, he maintained a razor focus. There was no way he was walking away. He had agreed to this. This is why he came. He would endure those tragic consequences because that’s what his Father’s plan called for. And what got him through it all was knowing that when it was all over, the plan would end in glorious victory.
Many see the cross as a sign of tragedy. It was a cruel way to die. It was meant for the worst of criminals. We, however, see it differently. By the grace of God, we see the cross as a sign of glorious victory! Our sins have been paid for. Satan has been defeated. Our debt has been wiped clean. Because of what Jesus endured on the cross, God the Father considers us once more to be perfect in his sight.
We are getting closer. Holy Week is just a week away. We are one week away from when the plan was set into motion. Notice: Jesus never wavered from his mission. Where are you? Are you focused? Are you focused on your mission?
I ask these questions for a reason. I ask because while God’s plan was set into motion, it hasn’t come to completion. Not till Jesus comes again or he calls us home. Do you understand what that means? It means the plan is still in motion – and we play a part in it.
The Lenten season provides the opportunity to focus our attention on God’s plan for salvation. It reveals us to be the sinners we really are and then provides a tutorial on unconditional love. It also details the great lengths Jesus was willing to go to save us. Are you focused? Or, do you find yourself easily distracted?
We do live in a fast-paced world. Individuals and families, it seems, have more distractions today than ever before. Work is demanding. Relationships are demanding. Raising a family is demanding. Nowadays, you’re expected to be here, there and everywhere. Personally, I don’t know how everybody does it. But you learn, don’t you? You have to stay focused. You learn to just go.
Jesus wants to see that same kind of focus; only he wants it directed to him. He warns about being caught up in the things of this world, when our focus needs to be on him: in our worship life, our prayer life, and our life of service. That’s what he’s referring to when he said, “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. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me” (John 12:25,26).
We are getting closer. We’re just one week away. Very soon we will be celebrating God’s plan being put into motion. Admittedly, it was a plan that led to tragic consequences. But it also was a plan that ended in glorious victory.
How can that be? How can God’s plan of salvation be both a tragedy and a victory? Your answer is found right up there. Your answer is found in the cross. Jesus gave his life on a cross (tragedy) so that one day we might live forever with him in heaven (victory). That was the plan. Praise God.
Amen.
And now may the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, keep our hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus. Amen.