John 12:20–36 - Cameron Jungels - Eastside Baptist/Sunday AM/November 2, 2014

“Glory through Shame; Victory through Death” (John 12:20–36)

Cameron Jungels/Eastside Baptist/Sunday AM/November 2, 2014

 

John 12:20–36 (NIV)

²⁰ Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. ²¹ They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” ²² Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. ²³ Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ Very truly I tell you, 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 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their 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 soul 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 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³ He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. ³⁴ The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?” ³⁵ Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. ³⁶ Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them. "After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, (Dan. 9:26, NLT)

 

³ He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. (Isa. 53:3, NIV)

 

⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-- even death on a cross!  (Philippians 2:7-8, NIV)

 

¹⁵ And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Genesis 3:15, NIV)

 

The path of Jesus’ glory was through shame, and the path of Jesus’ victory was through death.

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,  ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  ¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  (Philippians 2:9-11, NIV)

 

¹¹ For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." (Lk. 14:11, NIV)

 

⁴⁴ "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. (Matt. 13:44, NIV)

 

For Jesus and his followers, the path to glory is through shame, and the road to victory is through death.