The King glorified through death

Will you pray with me as we come to God's word?

Let's pray.

Father, all of us, to some degree or another,

have had a chaotic week in this world,

the turmoil of this life.

Lord, you know each of our hearts.

You know what we need to hear.

You know what we need to see in you.

So we pray that you would show us the light of your son.

Lord, we all need to see your son more clearly this morning.

We need to know the life that you give us through knowing him.

So I pray that you would make Jesus clear to us,

show us his glory so that we might have life in him.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

I want to start this morning by asking,

what are you entitled to in this world?

That car spot at the front of your house?

Maybe some compensation, some money.

Do you have that feeling where you need your ideas to be validated?

People need to agree with what your opinion is.

Are you entitled for people to sympathise with your emotions?

Maybe we feel entitled to have a really satisfying job where we feel important and successful.

It needs to fulfil us.

Maybe we feel entitled to be comfortable.

Socially, physically.

Maybe you feel entitled to some peace and quiet.

Maybe you feel entitled to a holiday.

In an argument.

In an argument.

Do you have that thought process where I deserve to get my way.

My point of view is right.

I must have it.

I'm entitled to it.

I'm entitled to an apology.

I'm not loving that person until they apologise.

We don't really like it when someone's too entitled, do we?

I'm picturing, as a really small example,

I'm picturing like at a bakery or you're ordering a coffee

and you're not quite sure who the person's going to serve

and they're like, who was first?

And you know you were first.

But someone sees the opportunity

and they just go, oh, yep, and they take their order.

I've had a hard week.

Are you entitled to be respected?

To be loved?

To have that position in your company?

That position of power in the family?

That position of influence in the church?

Do you deserve it?

Who are you frustrated at at the moment?

What do you think they're not giving you that you deserve?

I think a sense of entitlement,

demanding what is rightfully owed to me,

it's the air we breathe in this world.

It's the language we all understand and operate on.

I wonder if we can treat God with a sense of entitlement.

I can easily get into the headspace of,

I've done this and this and this for you, God.

I deserve some leisure time now.

You have no right to tell me to do more.

Or maybe we can treat God really well in one area of our life

and so we deserve forgiveness for that other area.

Or maybe we praise him and thank him and pray to him in the morning

and we think we deserve a really smooth rest of the day,

trouble-free.

I wonder if we easily get frustrated at God

because he doesn't answer our prayers when we want him to.

Can we easily pray,

give me today my daily bread,

without also praying,

your kingdom come,

your will be done.

Amen.

What we deserve,

entitlement,

it's the air we breathe

and it seeps into our relationship with God,

it seeps into the church,

it seeps in everywhere.

And if we're honest,

I think we love it.

As we come to listen to John 12,

Jesus stands out from this world.

He is the light

that exposes the darkness.

He is the light

that conquers the darkness.

He is the light

that draws people into his life.

He stands out.

So let's look at him.

Let's listen to him in John 12.

In our passage today,

we're coming close to the last words

that Jesus speaks publicly

before he's executed.

And we see that an event happens

and it seems like not a big deal,

but it's actually symbolic.

It's a trigger

for the time that Jesus

is going to be glorified

as king of the world.

And then we're going to look

at the four aspects

of what it will mean for Jesus

to become king of the world.

He first tells us that

he's like the one seed

that is buried,

that is planted

to produce many seeds.

And this involves

him choosing to hate his life

in order to make the father known.

And by doing this,

by dying,

he will decisively

defeat

his enemies.

And by doing it,

on our behalf,

he's going to draw

the whole world to himself.

this is what it will mean

for Jesus

to become king.

So once we've looked

and listened

and seen Jesus' light,

we're going to be confronted

with two questions.

Is this the kind of king

that we want?

Is this what we're looking for?

And are we going to follow

this king?

So chapters 1

to 11

of John

cover about

three years

of Jesus'

public ministry.

But these

final ten chapters

slow right down

and focus on

Jesus' final week.

John doesn't want us

to miss

the gravity

of this moment.

Something big

is happening.

All Jesus'

powerful signs

that demonstrate

that he has been

sent by God the Father,

they've hit a climax.

Bringing a dead man

whose flesh

was starting to smell

after four days.

Calling him

out of the tomb

and then later

having dinner with him.

Who wouldn't

follow a king

into battle

who could

resurrect his people.

But John

wants us to focus

on something

even bigger.

Something is coming.

And if it's bigger

than that

it must be huge.

And John

keeps telling us

again and again

that the Passover

feast

is about

to begin.

The feast

that remembers

God's powerful

signs

through Moses

in saving

Israel

from the control

of Egypt.

Where God's

decisive act

of judging

Pharaoh and

Egypt

and delivering

his people

was the death

that hit

everyone.

But God

spared his people

through the land

that was sacrificed

so that death

passed over them.

And then

Jesus

rides

into Jerusalem

with all Israel

acknowledging him

as their king

crying out

Hosanna

save us

we pray.

What is

Jesus

about to do?

He's coming

into the city

of God's king.

Will he take

up his throne

surely?

Will he rule

over the world

from Jerusalem

smashing

all the nations

bringing prosperity

like never before?

We are on the

verge of the

fulfilment

of God's promises

in the Old Testament

like Psalm 2

the king

who will reign

over all the world.

The crowds

want it.

Jesus

raising Lazarus

he's got the power

to do it.

The Jewish

leaders

who are against him

they seem powerless

they seem frustrated.

Surely

with everything

in place

Jerusalem's

welcome

will trigger

the king's

ascension

to the throne.

But we find

a different trigger

in verses

20 to 23.

Have a look

with me.

Now among

those who went

up to worship

at the feast

were some Greeks.

So these

came to Philip

who was from

Bethsaida

in Galilee

and asked him

sir

we wish

to see

Jesus.

Philip

went and

told Andrew

Andrew and

Philip

went and

told Jesus.

that's a

pretty tame

trigger

for God's

biggest

moment

in history.

A few

Greeks

want to

see Jesus.

So what?

We might be

thinking.

There must be

something more

symbolic going on

here.

So what do we

know?

They're not

ethnic Jews.

They're not

descendants of

Abraham.

They don't

have any

right to

the kingdom

of God.

But they

have either

fully converted

to Judaism

or they

worship God

while remaining

fully Greek.

And they've

come to

Jerusalem to

worship at

the Passover.

If we

picture them

in Jerusalem

you won't

see them

inside the

temple.

They couldn't

go in there.

Only

priests,

Jewish

priests,

could go

in there.

You

wouldn't

see them

in the

inner

court where

the

sacrifices

were

offered.

Only

Jews

could go

in there.

You

can't

get that

close to

God if

you're

a

Greek.

There

is a

warning

sign

going into

that

courtyard.

If you

go in

here you

will be

stoned

to death.

They

would have

been in

the outer

courtyard

at best

trying to

worship God,

trying to

come close

to God.

given what's

going on in

Jerusalem at

the time,

it's not

surprising they

hear of

Jesus and

so they

approach

Philip,

who apparently

is a

Greek name,

so he

could speak

Greek,

we can

assume,

and he's

from a

Greek-speaking

town in

Bethsaida.

But Philip

seems a bit

unsure.

Maybe he's

expecting Jesus

to be king

of Israel.

Should he

waste time

with foreigners?

We're not

really told

what's going

on in

Philip's

mind.

But he

tells Andrew

and together

they seem

to think

it's a

good idea.

Maybe

they're

excited

by Jesus

growing

popularity,

so they

go and

tell Jesus.

And for

Jesus,

he's the

only one

who understands

what's going

on.

This is

the trigger.

He

declares

the hour

has come

for the

Son of

Man to

be

glorified.

At the

very start

of Jesus'

ministry,

he goes

to a

wedding

in

Cana.

And if

you remember

what happened

there,

what's his

response when

he's asked

to help

with the

wine that

has run

out?

He says,

my hour

has not

yet come.

John

just

puts that

in there,

his hour.

What is

it?

We're not

told.

It keeps

us in

suspense.

And then

we jump

forward a few

chapters and

Jesus is

speaking to

the Samaritan

woman at

the well.

And he

says to

her,

the hour

is coming

when neither

on this

mountain nor

in Jerusalem

will you

worship the

Father.

Father.

But the

hour is

coming and

is now

here when

the true

worshippers

will worship

the Father

in spirit

and truth.

Then in

chapter 7,

after all his

signs of

healing the

centurion's

son,

feeding the

5,000,

walking on

water,

he's teaching

in the temple

saying,

the Father

has sent

me.

The signs

clearly show

it.

And the

authorities try

to arrest

him.

And we're

told no

one laid

a hand on

him because

his hour

has not

yet come.

The hour

has come

for Jesus

to be

glorified.

What's the

trigger?

It's the

world being

drawn to

Jesus.

The Pharisee's

complaint the

world was

going after

him was way

more true

than they

even realised.

The main

purpose for

which Jesus

was sent by

the Father

into the

world has

arrived.

But how

can Jesus

draw people

who have

nothing to

do with

God's law,

who have

no original

share in

the Passover,

Passover?

How can

Jesus draw

people like

this to

worship God?

How would

Jesus be

lifted up as

king?

For a

Jewish person,

they might

think back to

the time of

Solomon,

where the

Queen of

Sheba comes

and sees

Solomon and

sees the

golden temple,

sees his

armies,

sees the

organisation of

his kingdom,

sees and

hears his

wise teaching.

And the

Queen of

Sheba was

speechless.

She was

amazed by

it.

Is this

what it's

going to

look like

for Jesus

to be

king of

the world?

It's not

what Jesus

has in

mind.

It's not

God's

plan.

We're

going to

look at

four aspects

of what

it means

for Jesus

to be

glorified.

God's

love.

The first one is

in verse 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.

if you've

been to

the burial

of a

person

before,

have you

gone back

to the

cemetery

to see

what has

grown out

of what

has been

planted?

It's an

awful thing,

death.

when you

plant a

seed,

it's an

exciting

thing.

You see

the sprout

and then

it fully

develops.

But Jesus

isn't talking

about botany,

he's talking

about a

human body

being

planted

and producing

life.

Something

very

unique

is happening,

is going

to happen.

It's

unique

because

Jesus

himself

is

unique.

He is

the one

seed,

God's

one

son.

I was

reflecting

this week

how my

dad was

saved

out of a

non-Christian

family

to know

and live

for God.

God's

and I

was

really

thankful

for that.

And

then

by God's

grace

and God's

generosity,

I and my

brothers

know God

as well.

God's

love.

God's

love.

God's

love.

My mum

loves doing

family tree

stuff.

She's

looked up

Lincoln and

Leah in

Myanmar

trying to

trace their

family tree.

She's

looked up

Emma's

great-great-something

grandfather who

was the

first missionary

to New

Zealand.

Bit of a

mixed bag

there.

could you

imagine the

spiritual tree

that has

sprouted all

over the

world from

that one

seed being

planted 2,000

years ago?

I'd love to

see it, to

map it

out.

Us

sitting here

today is

fruit of

that.

Jesus'

glorification

as king,

he did

not use

a sword.

He didn't

send out

an army.

He did

it by being

planted in

the earth.

Jesus is

saying the

better

Passover is

about to

happen when

the Lamb of

God takes

away the

sin of

the world.

But don't

think for a

moment that

this was

somehow easy

for Jesus

to do.

He had to

struggle to

hate his

life in

order to

make the

Father known

in the

world.

Verse 27,

now is my

soul troubled.

That word

there,

troubled,

it doesn't

quite get the

force across.

It's like his

insides are

full of

revulsion,

the horror,

the anxiety.

What shall I

say?

Father, save

me from

this hour,

but for

this purpose

I have

come to

this hour.

The horror

of dying to

this world

and the

desire to

serve his

father are

clashing.

sin.

He doesn't

just cave

in to what

his father

wants out

of resentment.

He doesn't

fight and

dig his heels

in for what

he's entitled

to.

He doesn't

want to

die, but

he wants

something even

more than

not going

through with

it.

father,

glorify

your name

is what

he asked

for.

Make

yourself

known to

the world

through what

I do.

Bring

people to

worship

who you

are because

you are

worth it.

could you

know the

father's love

for you

any more

than when

you look

at the

son on

the cross

dying so

that death

and judgment

pass over

you?

Could you

know God's

love any

more than

that?

The father

has made

known most

clearly who

he is

because Jesus

chose to

hate his

life in

this world.

Imagine

what a

difference

it would

make in

your

relationships,

in your

workplace,

in our

church family

if we

shared

Jesus'

all-consuming

desire.

Not

save us

we pray

but

father

glorify

your name.

What

difference

would that

make?

for

Jesus

then a

voice

came from

heaven

I have

glorified

it and

I will

glorify it

again.

John's

gospel was

full of

people

testifying

and bearing

witness to

Jesus and

now we

have the

father

directly and

audibly

bearing

witness that

his son is

saying and

doing

everything

in service

of the

father.

This hour

of lifting

up the

son to

rule over

the world

first by

dying for

the sins

of the

world

this is

the

father's

plan.

It is

the

decisive

moment

for all

people

forever.

hearing this

voice the

people then

and us

now should

listen very

carefully to

what Jesus

says next.

In verse

31 and

32 he

interprets the

significance of

the hour of

his death

burial and

ascension to

the throne.

he uses a

theologically

loaded word

now.

Everything is

about to

change.

A shift is

about to

take place.

Now is

the judgment

of this

world.

Now will

the rule of

this world be

cast out.

When John

talks about

this world

he has in

mind all of

human society

that lives in

rebellion

of its

creator.

Not

thanking him.

Not

listening to

him.

Not

obeying him.

Not

living for

him.

That's

what

characterises

the world.

And when

this world

casts

judgment on

the son of

God thinking

he deserves

to die

it shows

the depths

of the

world's

stubbornness

not to

come to

God.

It shows

the depths

of the

world's

rejection

of God.

And the

cross also

is a

foretaste

of what

anyone who

treats God

that way

will one

day

experience.

Now is

the judgment

of the

world.

God's

God's

God's

judgment

of the

world.

This is

the time

for the

Passover

lamb

that Jesus

is going to

bear the

judgment

for his

people.

and the

ruler of

this world

will be

driven

out.

You

might think

in putting

to death

the heir

to the

throne

it might

have

seen

that

Satan

had

won.

But as

Jesus'

blood

cleanses

us from

all our

wrongs

Satan

has lost

his power

to accuse

God's

people

anymore.

Being

raised up

as king

over heaven

and earth

Satan

has lost

his

authority.

Those

who are

set free

are free

to serve

Christ.

And who

is this

for?

Who is

Jesus going

to save

and bring

under his

rule?

Like the

seed buried

in the

earth to

produce

many

now

Jesus

uses

a new

image.

The

image

of being

lifted

up.

John

here is

likely

picking up

the picture

in the

Old Testament

when the

snake

is lifted

up on

a pole

in the

wilderness

and any

one of

God's

people who

deserved

punishment,

anyone who

looked at

that snake

being lifted

up would

be instantly

healed and

forgiven.

Jesus

will be

lifted up

in his

death and

his

ascension

to the

throne in

heaven and

anyone who

looks to

him will

be saved.

And what's

the result

going to be?

The result is

the whole

world will be

drawn to

him.

Everyone

without

distinction,

whoever looks

to him.

Remember

what triggered

all this?

The Greeks

wanting to

see him.

This is

the profound

answer to

their desire

to see

him.

After

Jesus

completes

the hour,

Jesus

calls

everyone

everywhere.

In

me,

you can

approach

God,

you can

know God's

love for

you.

In

me,

come.

Come.

Come.

Come.

Come.

Come.

Come.

Come.

Come.

Come.

Come.

Come.

Come.

Come.

Come.

Come.

Come.

Come.

Come.

Come.

Come.

Imagine

if you

were one

of those

soccer

boys in

Thailand

that were

trapped a

couple of

years ago

in the

cave that

collapsed.

Living

in

darkness,

trapped

after 18

days of

being in

the

darkness,

darkness,

any hope

of your

life being

saved is

just fading

away every

hour.

The

moment that

you saw

light,

when the

rescuers

made an

opening,

how would

you feel?

Bored?

would you

be drawn

to it?

Jesus is

the light

of the

world,

and his

cross will

draw all

people from

all over

the world

into his

life.

It's

happening.

You and

I are the

fruit of

it.

He will

continue to

do it

until he

has saved

every one

of his

sheep.

He will

save every

one of

his sheep.

So we're

left with

two questions.

Is this

the kind

of king

you're

looking

for?

In

verses

34 to

36,

the crowds

fail to

hear the

affirmation of

the Father's

voice from

heaven.

They don't

listen to

Jesus.

Instead,

they enter

into a

debate with

Jesus.

We've

heard from

the law

that the

Christ remains

forever.

How can

you say

that the

Son of

Man must

be lifted

up?

It seems

like a

legitimate

question.

Isn't

the Christ

meant to

remain

forever?

How can

he die?

They're

okay with

Jesus calling

himself king.

They love

that label.

They're just

not a huge

fan of the

content.

What type

of king

are you

claiming to

be,

Jesus?

They

justify

themselves

thinking

they're

interpreting

the Old

Testament

right,

but they're

not listening

to the

Father's

voice.

They're

not

listening

to

Jesus'

voice.

For us

today,

we've got

to ask,

are we

actually

listening

to John's

voice,

God's

word?

They

want a

triumphant

Christ,

not a

Christ that

dies.

They're

Jews.

They probably

have a

sense of

entitlement

to be

part of

the kingdom,

to receive

the blessings

of their

idea of

the kingdom.

They do

not like

the pattern

of a

crucified

Christ who

says,

follow me.

God's

God's

God's

God's

God's

God's

God's

God's

love.

I think this

confronts us

when we think

about the part

of our

life that is

really hurting

us at the

moment.

What type

of Christ

do we want

at that

point?

A

Christ who

will give

us the

victory

and remove

our pain?

or a

Christ who

calls you

to follow

him in

his death,

to make

God known

to the

world?

Is this

the kind

of king

we're

looking for?

Jesus'

response,

walk while

you have

the light,

lest darkness

overtake you.

The one

who walks

in the

darkness

does not

know where

he is

going.

While you

have the

light,

believe in

the light

that you

may become

sons of

light.

We've got

a choice of

whether we

will listen

to Jesus

or not.

Will you

not listen

to Jesus

and be left

alone in

the dark

following the

ways of

this world

towards

judgment?

Or will

you trust

in the

brilliance

of his

light as

he lays

down his

life for

you and

become a

son of

light?

If you

think back

to how

you came

to know

God,

have a

think back

to who

it was

that God

used to

introduce

God to

you?

Did

they lay

down

their

life

in

some

way

for

your

sake?

Maybe

giving

their

time?

Maybe

you

notice in

them that

they

returned

evil with

love?

love?

This is

the pattern

that God

uses to

make his

name known.

If that's

the case,

I think

when things

are difficult

is actually

the best

opportunity

for us to

show that

we are

following

Christ.

So that

injustice

in the

workplace,

instead of

demanding

what you're

entitled to,

is an

opportunity

to pray

Father,

glorify

your

name.

The

agony

of being

in an

argument

with a

friend or

loved one,

it's an

opportunity

to pray

Father,

glorify

your

name.

the

pattern

of the

cross,

help me

lay down

my life

for this

person's

sake,

for your

name's

sake.

When it's

going to

cost you

to help

someone,

Father,

glorify

your

name.

Jesus

challenges

us with

the words

in 25

and 26,

whoever

loves his

life,

loses

it.

Whoever

hates his

life in

this world

will keep

it for

eternal

life.

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.

our king

has been

glorified

through his

death and

resurrection.

He is

king of

the world

and he

showed us

the way

to glory.

His way

has nothing

to do

with fighting

for what

you're

entitled

to,

but he

chose to

lay down

his

life

to give

life to

you,

to the

world,

to make

the

Father's

love

known.

When

people see

you,

do they

see just

another

person of

the world

fighting for

what is

rightfully

theirs?

Or do

they see

a child

of the

light?

someone

who

lays

down

their

rights

so

that

others

might

see

Christ's

death

through

you,

that the

Father

might be

known,

his love

known,

so that

they might

come to

life in

Christ.

Our

king

is

glorified,

he is

king of

the world

and he's

shown us

the way

to glory.

The question

is will

we follow

him?

Would you

pray with

me?

Our

Father,

we

confess

that

there's a

big part

of us

that

loves

our

life

in

this

world.

Lord,

forgive us

for

clinging

to it.

Lord,

our love

for the

world

makes us

struggle

to see

Jesus

clearly.

God

God,

God,

we

thank you

that

you

have

spoken

and

that

you've

helped

us

see

Jesus

again.

Please

continue

to show

us

your

son

more

and

more

for the

rest

of our

days.

Father,

I pray

that you

give

all of

us

individually,

in our

families,

as a

church,

a deeper

and deeper

appreciation

for

Jesus

laying

down

his

life

in

order

to

give

us

life

so

that

we

can

know

you

as