Jesus, Lifted Up. 21/03/21
John 12:20-33
I wonder, how many of us today, realise the significance of this, ‘golden’ passage of Scripture, and how much our own salvation, depends upon it?
It marked a profound shift, in emphasis, with regard to the ministry of Jesus. In it, He proclaimed His mission field to be, ‘international’, rather than, ‘national’. In it, He proclaimed His mission to be to the whole world, rather than just to the Jews!
Let’s consider the impact of that ‘shift’, not only, upon the world 2000 years ago, but also upon the world today.
According to John’s time line, ‘Passion Week’, had already begun, with His ‘Triumphal Entry’, into Jerusalem, (John 12:12-16).
Like never before, the divisive personality and ministry of Jesus, was becoming attractive – the great ‘magnet’, was beginning to draw!
Even Gentile Greeks wanted to see Jesus, and question Him. How did He respond to their enquiries? By telling them, and His disciples, of His impending death on the cross: (vv 23,24), “The hour has come for the Son of Man, to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground, and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”
Once before, Jesus had spoken about seed; the Parable of the Sower, where the seed represented, the ‘Word of God’, (Luke 8:11). But now, the seed represented, ‘The Son of God’.
There are only two ways a wheat seed can be used. It can be ground, for food; or it can be planted, to produce another crop. Eat it, or grow it!
Eat it, in a short moment of gratification; or sow it, in the ground, in the dark, out of sight, and it will reappear in season, multiplied as part of a great harvest.
Paradoxically, the life of each seed ends, when it’s used for immediate benefit; but achieves its greatest development, when it’s thrown into the ground, out of sight, and apparently lost.
As with a seed, so with a human life. You can do one of two things, with your life. You can live your life, for your own profit, pleasure and power, by satisfying your own present desires and appetites, and securing the greatest amount of immediate gain and enjoyment, for yourself. In other words, you can, ‘eat your life’, thinking that, by doing so, you save it.
Or, you can be willing to put aside present enjoyment, profits and power, of a selfish kind, and live your life for God, and for other people.
In other words, you can, ‘plant your life’, even though, at times, it may seem, that you lose it.
But look more closely, and it becomes apparent, that the very opposite, is in fact true.
In the first case, rather than saving your life, you make an end to your life, by consuming it as you go along!
No lasting results, no helpful influences, no deepening of Godly character, no Christian maturing, follows this way of life. It’s all spent on yourself, and the present. See the ‘Parable of the Rich Fool’, (Luke 12:13-21).
That’s all there is that’s good. All you’ve gained and built, is lost to you, it’s left behind. Only an eternity with God, or an eternity without Him, beckons you.
In the second case, you’re prepared for immediate cost, and apparent loss – but instead, you actually enter into a more fruitful, faithful and abundant life, that results in blessings for many others and ultimately, for you.
These blessings apply, not only now, but on and on into future generations, in the lives of other people; and for yourself, in heaven with God, Himself!
As Jesus said in v 25 of our reading, “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!”
The ‘Law of the seed’, Jesus said, is the ‘Law of life’, itself.
Now, let’s consider the Mission shift. Part of the glory, Jesus was referring to, in v 23, was for men and women of all nations, to come to Him. But, before that countless host could come, He had to die upon the cross – “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.” (vv 32,33)
Jesus obviously anticipated, a ‘world-wide’ ministry.
I know He’d told the disciples, “Do not go among the Gentiles, or enter a town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.” (Matt 10:5,6).
That instruction was reinforced, when He said of Himself, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” (Matt 15:24).
I know it’s true, that Jesus was born, within the boundaries of Palestine, and within these boundaries, He died.
His 12 close disciples, were all men of the Jewish faith; the homes – with one or two exceptions – that He visited, were Jewish homes. Most of His teaching, and nearly all His signs and wonders, were to first, bring hope and comfort to Jewish hearts. All of this, is true. In the working out of His earthly ministry, Jesus confined Himself mainly within Jewish limits.
Yet, there are other statements, that cannot be ignored. They are significant.
John 10:16 - “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen, (that is, outside
Judaism), I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock, and one shepherd.”
Then, of course, there is the ‘Great Commission’, of the Christian Church in Matt 28:19 - “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.”
Coupled with our text again, v 23 – “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth,
will draw all men to myself.” It surely becomes obvious. It’s all about God’s timing – first to the Jews, ‘His Chosen People’, and then, to ‘the rest of the world’!
But first, something had to happen – the Cross.
There was tremendous power and virtue, in Jesus’ life – holiness, healing, teaching, comforting, caring, loving, inspiring. This was not a ‘God thing’, it was a ‘faith thing’ – for Jesus was, ‘fully man’. Everything He did, was the result of a man, full of the Holy Spirit, living out a life of obedience and sacrifice, to God – something we should all aspire to.
Yet Jesus remained only one man, a single seed – a unique seed, but still only a single seed! Therefore, He could only be in one place at a time – His success was limited, not in power, but in position. That’s why He said to His disciples, at their last Passover Supper – “It is good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you.” (John 16:7).
As long as the disciples were looking at the husk, the outer body of the one seed, its’ full life, couldn’t fill them.
When Jesus died, on the Cross, everything was turned upside down. The Cross seemed, such a waste, such a loss. The two disciples on the Emmaus Road shared, “…they crucified him, but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” (Luke 24:20,21)
They still didn’t understand.
William Barclay comments: “Jesus came to the Jews, with a new view of life. They looked on glory, as conquest; the acquisition of power, as the right to rule! He looked on it, as a cross. He taught men, that only by death, comes life; that only by spending life, do we retain it; that only by service, comes greatness.”
Jesus must die on the Cross! But three days later, everything changed. And the disciples understood!
What was sown, in hatred and cruelty, was raised, in ‘glory’!
What was sown, in such apparent weakness, was raised, in ‘strength and power’!
What was sown, in defeat, was raised, in ‘victory’!
So, despair, gave way to hope – “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18)
What had seemed, to ‘end’, at the Cross; was really, only ‘beginning’, at the Cross.
For what was sown at Calvary, has sprouted and multiplied, again and again; until now, the whole world, is being planted, with the same, ‘grain’, of the Lord.
The Cross, seen as a shocking instrument of torture and death, is now seen, as the only way to life.
For 2000 years, the Cross has been the bridge, the narrow way, the door to salvation. As J.John once said, “The only way to heaven is via ‘King’s Cross’!”
The Cross, empty now, is at the very centre of all things, for all people.
It’s at the Cross, that people are finally reconciled; first to God, and then, to one another!
All manner of men and women, meet, at the Cross.
The sinner and the sinned against – meet, at the Cross.
The slanderer, and the slandered – meet, at the Cross.
The heart-breaker and the heart-broken - meet, at the Cross.
The rich and the poor; the loved and the unloved; the powerful and the powerless – they all meet, at the Cross.
They come alone; or in their two’s and three’s; in their tens; in their hundreds; in their thousands – from all ages, all classes, all generations and all nations.
For where else can they go – to find forgiveness, healing, freedom, purpose, and most of all, peace?
Graham Kendrick and Steve Thompson, wrote a hymn, in 1991 – read it, and perhaps we’ll begin to understand – even better, sing it!
‘How can I be free from sin,
lead me to the cross of Jesus,
from the guilt, the power, the pain,
lead me to the cross of Jesus.
There’s no other way, no price that I could pay,
simply to the cross I cling.
This is all I need, this is all I plead,
that His blood was shed for me.
How can I know peace within,
lead me to the cross of Jesus,
sing a song of joy again,
lead me to the cross of Jesus.
Flowing from above, all forgiving love,
from the Father’s heart for me.
What a gift of grace, His own righteousness,
clothing me in purity.
How can I live day to day,
lead me to the cross of Jesus,
following His narrow way,
lead me to the cross of Jesus.
Madam Guyon, the 17th century Christian mystic wrote, “God gives us the cross, and the cross, gives us God!”
We live in an age of ‘international rescue’, and I don’t mean ‘Thunderbirds’!
Live aid; Comic relief; Tear fund; Christian Aid; Oxfam, and many others – hundreds of charities and aid organizations – some are Christian, many are not. Most do sterling work, in relieving poverty. But is that enough?
Let me say this:
Jesus said, “When I am lifted up, I will draw ‘all men’, to myself.”
This is unquestionably a mission, and missionary statement!
I believe in food and clothing missions – but at the heart of mission, there must be more than famine relief.
I believe in educational mission – but at the heart of mission, there must be more than text books, pens and pencils.
I believe in medical missions – but at the heart of mission, there must be more than vaccinations, operations and curing disease.
You see, Jesus never said, “My power to feed thousands, will draw all men!”
He never said, “My power to heal, will draw all men!”, or, “My teaching will draw all men!”
What He said was, “When I am lifted up, I will draw ‘all men’, to myself!”
The Cross must be, at the heart of all mission. There’s nothing else like it, in the universe!
We see evidence of this today – in the lives of individuals, communities and churches. Nothing draws, like the uplifted Christ. Let a preacher talk of economics, politics, sociology, even theology, and all is well; comfort and boredom reigns.
But speak of the Cross, and the uplifted Christ – and a spirit of reverence, mixed with tension, seasoned with urgency and unease, is felt.
The Cross tightens the strings of the heart; it sounds out the very soul.
It may produce many emotions, including anger, or love, but never ‘indifference’.
Dr Jowett, 19th Century Anglican priest and classical scholar, wrote:
“You may proclaim Christ, as a great ethical teacher, but ethics, will generate no more energy, than the Ten Commandments, painted on the cold surface of the walls of the church. You may proclaim Him, as a reformer, but the programme will not lift men, out of their deadly grooves! Jesus the prophet, may draw cheers, but the uplifted Christ, draws men. Jesus the teacher, may gain men’s signature, but the Sacrificial Saviour, wins their hearts!”
Man conquers man, by force of arms; bullets, bombs and missiles! God, also conquers man, by force of arms – the arms of Jesus, stretched out wide, upon the Cross!
Is the Cross of Christ, a force on our society today? No, it is not!
There are thousands of churches, throughout the land; with thousands of crosses, on walls and altars, bearing ‘silent’ witness, to God’s greatest victory. But, that, ‘silent’, witness is not nearly enough.
I believe that the main reason, why much of the established church, is so weak today, is because the Cross, the real Cross, is rarely preached. It’s considered too embarrassing, too upsetting, too medieval, and simply too irrelevant, for the sophisticated people of the 21st century!
Yet, to repeat again, Madam Guyon – “God gives us the cross, and the cross gives us God!”
The power of the Cross, needs to be heard!
First, once again, in our churches – where the Gospel, is merely a fading echo, from a bygone age.
And second, in our streets; in our schools – praise God, for Tudor’s powerful school’s ministry; in our colleges; in our factories, offices and shops; on the street, and in our homes.
And that’s our job; our mission; our ministry. For though we must lift Jesus up in our preaching, teaching, and speaking, and in our prayers, and our praise and worship – we must also lift Him up, in our daily living.
I believe, that a world, wracked by pain, loss and suffering; by inequality, prejudice, and greed, can only find unity and peace, through One Man!
A man who is God, and King of Kings, Lord of Lords. A man who was lifted up, on a Cross, for that purpose – to draw all men, to Himself.
Behold, that Man, Jesus Christ!
In George Bernard Shaw’s play, when Joan of Arc, realizes, that she has been betrayed, by the leaders of her own people – she turns to her accusers, and says, “I will go out now, to the common people, and let the love in their eyes, comfort me, for the hate in yours. You will all be glad, to see me burnt; but if I go, through the fire, I shall go through it, to their hearts, for ever and ever!”
That’s clearly a parable, of what happened to Jesus!
His death, upon the Cross, made Him, go through it, to men’s hearts, for ever and ever.
The conquering Messiah, of the Jews, is an enigma, about which, scholars and theologians, write their many books.
But the Prince of Peace, dying on a cruel Cross, is the King, who has His throne, for ever in the hearts of men…
Because the only solid, secure foundation, for God’s Kingdom, is, sacrificial
LOVE!
That must be our message, to a broken, frightened world, this Easter, and on into the future – until Jesus returns!
Maranatha – our Lord comes!
Amen.