28th May 2022 – John 12:20-26
"20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honour him."
John 12:20-26
Jesus first of all states the truth in natural terms (24) - 'except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die...'. This may well be the verse from which Paul gets his similar illustration in 1 Corinthians 15. Next, He applies the principle to the life of discipleship, in 25 and 26, while from 27-32 He applies it to His own experience and interprets the death He is to die in these terms. Some commentators think there is implicit here a condemnation of the Jews for their failure to do just this in the world in order to be a light in the world. Israel should have been the corn of wheat, but failed to be this; Jesus is the new Israel, and He - and His followers - will fulfil God's calling. This is why Jesus says, in 25, 26, 'This is what it means to be a disciple of Mine. If any man serve Me, and claims any allegiance to Me, let him follow Me in this principle; let this be the principle of their lives, as it is the principle of Mine.' This is the first meaning of the words 'where I am', but it does not exhaust them, for there must also be a reference to sharing His glory. This can be understood in two ways - not only in the sense of 'the glory that should follow' His sufferings, but also in the sense that since doing the will of God was the passion of Christ's heart, and therefore His delight, those who share His sufferings by being the corn of wheat that falls into the ground and dies, are given to share something of that delight also. It is this note that explains why the first disciples in Acts not only did not shrink from bearing the cross and sharing His sufferings, but also actually rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for His Name. They gloried in the cross. It is 'the joy that seeketh us through pain', as Matheson puts it in his hymn, and it is something which as disciples we dare not close our hearts to.
27th May 2022 – John 12:20-26
“20 Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew…
26th May 2022 – John 12:12-19
“12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes…
25th May 2022 – John 12:12-19
“12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes…
24th May 2022 – John 12:12-19
“12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes…
23rd May 2022 – John 12:1-11
“12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at…
22nd May 2022 – John 12:1-11
“12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at…
21st May 2022 – John 12:1-11
“12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at…
20th May 2022 – John 12:1-11
“12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at…
19th May 2022 – John 12:1-11
“12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at…