John 12:23-30; Heb. 2:14-18

Glory comes only through the cross!  Today’s passage makes it clear: this is not our idea; it is Jesus’ idea.  The occasion that Jesus’ hour had come was the request of the Greeks.  Now consider the nature of this hour.

Jesus’ words in v23 are a purpose statement.  The purpose He mentions is that He, the Son of Man should be glorified.  This is God’s purpose for all of history.  Before the world was created God determined that His Son would receive the nations as an inheritance and that He would rule them from Zion (Psalm 2).  This drives history, past and future.  Some day the mystery of God would be finished (Rev. 10:7).  Jesus Christ will be revealed so that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:8-11).

For this to happen, however, He, as a grain of wheat, must fall into the ground and die (be buried).  If it dies it produces a harvest of much grain.  Thus the great hour is His death.  How amazing is that?  Lest you be confused note the passage from Hebrews (2:14-18) that tells you how valuable is His death.

• ·        It is the means by which He completes His identification with humanity, v14.
• ·        He completed the defeat of death and Satan, v14.
• ·        He grants complete freedom to believers, v15.
• ·        He completes the atonement (satisfaction) for sin, v17.
• ·        He grants complete help for believers, v18.

Through the cross there is reconciliation (Col. 1:20), peace and access to God (Eph. 2:13), power to live (Gal. 2:20) and justification and redemption (Rom. 3:24-25).  Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Hb. 9:22).

But there is more to say.  What is true of Jesus is true of us, of anyone (v25-26).  He had been saying this all along, especially in the context of what it means to be a disciple.  Do you remember Matt. 16:24-25?  The principle is in v25: if you try to save your life you will lose it; if you lose your life for Christ you will gain it.  It explains v24.  To follow Christ is to follow Him, with your own cross, to the place of crucifixion.  What Jesus is saying in John 12 is that He has now come to that place and those who are following Him will live their lives with the same anticipation, the anticipation that glory requires a cross!

Make sure you don’t miss v27.  This is not easy.  But it is inevitable for all who follow Christ.  Again, it’s a purpose statement.  It is the only way He, and we, can be glorified so as to glorify the name of the Father.  Isn’t it amazing, again, that God choose this moment to again speak from heaven?  To the One and to those who come to the cross of Christ, these God can honor!  

Like Paul we must say I die daily (1 Cor. 15:31-32).  We must daily carry around the death of Christ in our bodies so that His life might be seen in our bodies (2 Cor. 4:7-12).  I am crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20).