John 12:20-36, The Seed Must Die

After having said that His time had not come (Jn. 7:6,8,30; 8:20), He now says, The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.  The occasion for this announcement is significant.  Jesus’ earthly ministry was specifically to the people of Israel (Mt. 15:24; Rom. 15:8).  But God’s purpose in sending Jesus as Messiah to Israel was so that salvation could be proclaimed to the world.  Jesus had known this and hinted at this.  In John 3:16 He was sent by the Father into the world, so that “whosoever” believes in Him might have eternal life.  In John 10:16 we believe His reference to “other sheep” is a reference to the Gentiles.

Thus, the occasion for this announcement was the coming of “certain Greeks,” asking to see Jesus.  Jesus did not say “the hour of My trial.”  He said, “the hour … that the Son of Man should be glorified.”  It was the Father’s plan to honor His Son by giving Him the nations as an inheritance and by exalting Him to the throne of David in Jerusalem (Psalm 2).  But the nations and the one nation of Israel were not an honorable gift for the Son of God.  As the Psalmist put it, God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.  Everyone one of them has turned aside.  They have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one (Ps. 53:2-3). 

The sinful world meant there had to be a Savior for that world (Jn. 4:42), a sinless Lamb to take away the sins of that world (Jn. 1:29), and Jesus was that Savior and Lamb.  His “glory” had to be preceded by His suffering and humiliation (Phil. 2:5-11).  Jesus explained this in 12:24, referring to Himself as the grain of wheat that must die, but if it dies it produces much grain.  Jesus’ soul was troubled (12:27), but only because the hour of His glorification had to be preceded by the hour of trial.  For there to be a resurrection there had to be a death. This is why Jesus refers to Himself here as “the Son of Man” (12:23), emphasizing His humanity and His death by crucifixion (Heb. 2:14).  The Greeks did not have their meeting with Jesus, yet their request was satisfied in an even greater way: in His death Jesus would be lifted up on the cross for all the world to see (12:30-33).

This was a major announcement.  It would result in the casting out of the devil, the ruler of this world (12:31), the one whose temptations brought sin into the world (Gen. 3:1ff) and the one with the power of death (Heb. 2:14).  His death would not only result in His glory as the Son of God; it would also restore the creation, bringing glory to the Father (12:28).  For the sake of those who witnessed Jesus’ conversation with His Father, the Father gave an audible and affirmative answer.

It is interesting, that preceding the request of the Greeks to see Jesus, the Pharisees were saying among themselves, Look, the world has gone after Him (12:19).  Their words had deeper meaning than they realized.  His death would be for the salvation of all who would believe in Him.

Phil. 3:8-11; 4:8-9, Poignant Principles About Television

(I.e. Heavy Thoughts on the Tube)

Many years ago someone, out of the kindness of their heart, or so they thought, gave us a TV.  Not surprisingly, I had the biggest problem in our family with bad habits related to the telly.  So I did what any good preacher would do: I devised a sermon on the subject so I could guilt others with my problem. (Please, note the sarcasm.)  So here it is in the original form.  I believe it has a pretty clear crossover to our issue with cell phones, other than #4.

 

1)    TV is less important than other things, and far less important than people.  Some of the things that take priority over TV include …

a)    My own personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

i)      Phil. 1:20-21: I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.  For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (By the way: my father’s life verses.)

ii)   Phil. 3:8,10a (from today’s reading.)

b)    My family.

i)      Col. 3:18-21: Wives, submit to your husbands … husbands, love your wives … children, obey your parents… fathers, do not embitter your children.

c)    My work and school work:

i)      Prov. 10:4: Lazy hands make a man poor but diligent hands bring wealth.

ii)   Prov. 14:23: All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

iii)            Prov. 1:5: He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

d)    My church and youth group.

i)      Rom. 15:2: Each of us should please his neighbor for his good to build him up.

ii)   Eph. 4:16: From Him, the whole body, joined together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

e)    My active recreation.

i)      Ex.23:12: Work six days but on the seventh day do not work so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed.

2)    Too much TV dulls the mind and stifles creativity.  (A fact born out by scientific research.)

3)    TV is neither all good nor all bad.  Therefore I must use discretion in the selection of programs.

a)    Col. 1:1-3: Since, then, you have bene raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

b)    Phil. 4:8 (from today’s reading.)

4)    When more than one person wants to watch TV, I cannot always watch what I want but must defer to others.

a)    1 Pet. 3:8: Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

b)    Rom. 12:10: Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.

c)    Phil. 2:4: Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5)    TV is a privilege, not a right (not a necessity).

6)    At it’s best, TV can be a means to enhance the Lordship of Jesus in a Christian home.

a)    Col. 1:18: And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy.

b)    Phil. 2:9-11: Therefore God highly exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Psalm 145

This Psalm, for me, serves as a wonderful guide to prayer.  Consider!

·         145:1-3: David begins with praise.  And how good is the Sweet Psalmist of Israel in giving praise to God.  God is to him my God O King.  How personal God is to him; and how properly God is King of Israel’s greatest king.  Perhaps David excels at praise because he is committed to give it every day, forever.  And of course he excels at praise because the God he praises is so worthy of praise, and whose greatness cannot ever be fully known!

·         145:4-7: David’s prayer is my prayer, that from my wife and me generations will follow who bless God, every day, and forever.  We pray for our children and generations of grandchildren to meditate on the splendor of His majesty.

·         145:8-9: How wonderful it is to regularly confess to God His name (Exodus 34:6-7), declaring His perfections.  This is our God who again, if we will take time to meditate on Him, we will find easy to praise.

·         145:10-13:  We pray, not only for our family but for the family of God, the saints.  These days there is no end of books and seminars to help correct all the faults in the local church.  But one must ask: is there faithful prayer the kind of prayer where we struggle for God’s people?  God’s kingdom is everlasting and enduring.  Jesus said the gates of hell would not prevail against His Church.  We continually seek to redefine and remake and rework and re-everything the church.  What we must do is seek God on behalf of the saints that they would speak of the glory of His kingdom and make known to the sons of men His mighty acts.  Jesus, the Judge of every local church (Rev. 2-3), knows how to lead His saints in the way in which they should do this.  Thus we pray for several churches regularly.  Pray for God’s people!

·         145:14-16: This is what our God does, upholding those who fall and satisfying the desire of every living thing.

·         145:17-21:  This is our God!  Righteous! Gracious!  Near to all who call on Him in truth.  Satisfying!  Preserving!  Eventually, in one way or another, all flesh will bless His holy name.  May we bless it NOW by perfecting our praise!

1 Cor. 2:6-14, The Person and Ministry of the Holy Spirit

Today’s post provides an outline study of the Holy Spirit with a brief application at the conclusion.

1)    Who is the Holy Spirit?

a)    A person (John 14:26; 15:26; 1 Cor. 2:10; 12:11).

b)    God (compare Ez. 17:2-7 with Heb. 3:-9; Acts 5:3 with 5:4; John 3:6 with 1 John 5:4; 1 Cor. 3:16 with 2 Cor. 6:19).

c)    The third member of the Trinity (Matt.28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).

2)    What was the Holy Spirit’s relation to Old Testament (pre-Calvary) believers?

a)    It was different than after the cross (Jn. 7:39; 14:17).

b)    He came on certain men for service but not upon all believers (Judges 3:10).

c)    He could come upon a man for a time and then leave him (1 Cor.10:10; 16:14; Ps. 51:11).

3)    How does the Holy Spirit draw a person to salvation in Christ?

John 16:7-11: He convinces men of their sin, of the truth that Christ alone can make them righteous, and that apart from Christ they will be judged along with Satan, the Ruler of this world.

4)    What is the Holy Spirit’s work when a person is saved?

a)    He does the work of “regeneration” (the new birth) within the person (John 3:5-8; Titus 3:5; in Romans 6:3-4 this work is described by baptism).

b)    He immediately indwells the person (1 Cor. 6:19; Rom. 8:9; Jn. 7:39).

c)    The believer is immediately baptized in the Spirit (that is, immersed or placed in the Church, 1 Cor. 12:13).

d)    He gives gifts to the believer to be used in service for Christ (1 Cor. 12:7,11).

e)    He is God’s pledge (earnest, guarantee) within the believer that his salvation is eternal and that God will complete the work He has begun (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30).

5)    What is the Holy Spirit’s ongoing work for the believer?

a)    In general, He is our Helper/Advocate (John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7).

b)    More specifically, He fills (controls) the believer as he yields to Christ (Eph. 6:18).

6)    What are the results of the Spirit-filled life?

a)    Gal. 5:22-23: dynamic, life-changing Christian character.

b)    Ac. 1:8: power for witness and service.

c)    Eph. 5:19-20: a life of praise and thanksgiving.

d)    Eph. 5:21: a life of good relationships.

e)    Rom. 8:26: power in prayer.

Here are two application questions based on John 7:37-39.

7)    How does a person receive the Holy Spirit?  In response to the spiritual thirst in his life, he follows the Spirit’s lead by coming to Christ for satisfaction and believing in Christ.  If a person does not have the Holy Spirit it is because he does not have Christ.  (Rom. 8:9)

8)    How is a Christian filled with the Holy Spirit?  The Christian continues to believe in Christ from day to day. In other words, he walks by faith.  He who believes in Me … out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.  (Isa. 44:3; 55:1; Eph. 5:18)