Suffering, and Glory John 12. 20-32

Suffering, and Glory

Some Greeks came ….Jesus has just recently raised Lazarus from the dead. Then, he has entered Jerusalem as King – and shown his Kingly authority by cleansing the temple of all the money-grabbers trading there. People are getting annoyed. The Jewish leaders are scratching their heads. What are they going to do about this trouble-making young preacher? They agree “The world has gone after him!”  

And then – to show just how right they were, John records this little incident: some Greeks either "God-fearers" or proselytes had come to Jerusalem to worship – curious about the Jewish faith, impressed by the sensible idea of one supreme holy God instead of a whole load of gods who squabbled like schoolboys. And now some of them want to “See” and have a conversation with Jesus. It is possible that they had witnessed the cleansing of the temple, and been impressed by it. So they come to Philip (who has a Greek name!) and announce that they want to see Jesus. Philip tells Andrew (another Greek name) who accompanies him to tell Jesus.

Isn't that an exciting mission story! It's about these Greeks, coming to a point where they want to meet Jesus. It's about two of the disciples using what they have to hand – in their case the fairly weak and tenuous connexion of having Greek names and being perhaps more “Hellenistic” than some of the others.

And this request of the Greeks to see (talk seriously with) him is like an exploding fuse in the mind of Jesus. John's gospel quotes Jesus as saying,a number of times, “My hour is not yet come” (e.g. John 8. 20) Now at last "the hour" has come Jesus recognises this as “The Son of man being Glorified!” It sounds good; it sounds positive. That is what we are here for. To reach these guys.

What does that glory look like?  

It looks like a grain of wheat, sown into the ground, to die. The son of man will need to plant himself in the ground like a seed – “crucified, laid behind the stone”... we need to know that.

Catholic theologian Karl Rahner said death is “Guilt made visible.” Bruce Milne says “Death proclaims that there is nothing in our lives which is finally fit to endure to eternity.” And Jesus, the perfect, sinless son of God, the timeless, ageless Son of man, faced death. He took our death, our guilt, our sin.

No wonder his soul was “troubled” (v 27) which signifies shock, agitation, or even revulsion.  If an army is “troubled” it is thrown into disorder. If a person's bowels are “troubled” they have the runs! Jesus suffers severe, gut-wrenching distress, because he has to drink the cup of God's wrath. In a prayer that is echoed a little later in Gethsemane, Jesus says “Father, I don’t know how to pray... what shall I say, 'get me out of this'? No, this is why I came. Father, glorify your name, that's my prayer. Glorify your name!” (v 28) "Glorify your name" is synonymous with " your kingdom come, your will be done." In the Cross, jesus says and acts out “Your will be done – so the Cross releases the Kiingdom into the world.

And the Voice. Does anyone watch that kind of stuff on TV? This is the ultimate reality show. The Voice of God, the father . "I have glorified it and will glorify it again"

1. It's the Voice of his Father's approval. As in his Baptism, as on the mountain where he was transfigured, his father is pleased with him. He is fulfilling his call.
2. It's the Voice of his Father's promise: in Jesus death, the father will be glorified. The Kingdom will come; God's will is going to triumph.

Lesslie Newbigin, a Scottish missionary theologian said “In this act the glory which is the flaming heart of the Universe is revealed"  The Son brings glory to the father in a supreme act of obedience ; and in this action the father will crown the Son with glory.

The Cross is the Glory. It is not just the road that leads to glory: it shows the glory of god. The death and resurrection of Jesus are not divisible simple into a defeat at Calvary which was righted by the subsequent powerful victorious act of the resurrection. Rather both death and resurrection represent one inseparable event in which Jesus achieves the glory of God. Christian Faith, says Bruce Milne, is Easter faith.

That's the Cross; that's the glory. That's obedience; that's the kingdom. As Jesus yields himself, his very life, the the father’s will, the Kingdom comes; as Jesus – the One over whom death has no power, enters death, this terrifying dominion cannot hold him. Resurrection has to follow. C S Lewis puts it like this in the end of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: "If a willing Victim that has committed no treachery is killed in a traitor's stead, the Stone Table will crack; and even death itself would turn backwards."

Mission:

What about the Greeks?

Jesus is not described as having had a conversation with the Gentiles. It could almost look like a slap in the face for them. We don't know whether he spoke to them or not. We have no reason for being dogmatic one way or the other. But what we do know is that he did what needed to be done to bring these Greeks – and us – in.

The rest of the chapter shows us Jesus in conflict with the Jewish authorities: they respond to him with unbelief, self-interest and rejection. Jesus is winding up the “Jewish” part of his ministry; the scene is being set for Paul to say “I am going to the Gentiles”

“The way to the evangelization of the Gentiles lies through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus and the mission of the church,” says C K Barrett.

 

What about us?
Jesus sums up by saying four things about the cross and resurrection, suffering and kingdom event.

1. It is the judgement of this world; (ESV) that is (1) it will pass judgement on the world; and (2) It will bear the judgement deserved by the world.
2. It will drive out the prince of this world
3. it will exalt Jesus : he will be lifted up in a positive and negative sense ; the cross is a throne.
4. It will bring a worldwide harvest: "all men" are drawn to Jesus.

Ultimately the "much fruit" which the seed of Jesus crucified brings forth, will be the church of the first-born from all the nations and ages.  We become part of that. How?

Jesus tells us “If any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honour him.” (v. 26)

1. We enter eternal life through death to ourselves – taking up our cross –  ceasing to follow all the other “Lords and Kings”.
2. Kingdom fruitfulness is costly . It is in dying that we become life givers. Paul speaks of dying every day (1 Cor. 15.31).

The death and resurrection of Jesus, in its entirety, brings the kingdom and glorifies God. And it brings the kingdom to the whole world; all men. God is looking for much fruit. And we can be part of that as we surrender ourselves to Him.


© Gilmour Lilly March  2015