John
12:23-33 (NIV) Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be
glorified. 24 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. 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.
27
"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. 28 Father,
glorify your name!"
Then a
voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it
again." 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered;
others said an angel had spoken to him.
30
Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time
for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32
But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." 33 He said this to show the kind of death he
was going to die.
NOTE: Jesus very
clearly foretells his death to the crowd. He also introduces a new math for the
follower of God--lose your life and you will keep it for eternal life. I have
read atheists who say that they cannot believe in God because it would mean renouncing
some sinful habits that they like. Certainly, we cannot work for our salvation
and so the idea of "renouncing" is not technically correct for salvation. But true
repentance admits with God that we are sinners and is a desire on the person's
heart to change his ways. So the atheist is correct that you do need to lose
your life (what you are living for now) if in fact you want to gain eternal
life. If you are not willing to give up your sin for Christ, then, in Jesus'
words, you will lose your life. And unlike a famous author, love does not win
out in the end, and you do not receive salvation.
One other thing of
note happens in this passage. It happens three times in the gospel (using my
memory), twice in a public setting and once in a private setting, and that is
God the Father speaking audibly. God does it at the beginning, the baptism, and
here right before the end of Jesus' life. He also speaks audibly on the mount
of transfiguration, but that is only for the benefit of three disciples. So, the crowd hears God "thunder" a response. I wonder how
many of those hearers were shouting "crucify him" six days later.
Miracles are signs of something big happening or changing but rarely convince
people of truth.
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