Thursday, July 17, 2014

Glorified

John 12:20-28

Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip came and told Andrew and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified."

"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say" 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again."


I know one thing...God will be glorified. Even when many reject and despise Him, He will be glorified. How could He not? He created this world and all that is in it. He has made all things good. We are they who have brought wickedness and evil into the world because of His adversary the devil and his lies.

I want to see Jesus some day. I want to see Him glorified.

This parable is all about true life and death. We plant seeds in the ground in hopes of one day seeing a plant or flower. The grain of wheat must die in order to grow. Jesus was talking about an event in the near future...when He would have to die so that life would abound in the future. He died for us but He was made alive again. When we give our lives to Jesus, we also die that we might live. We surrender our earthly lives that we might have heavenly lives. Only Jesus made that possible.

We must be, like He, willing to die for this life. We must want to hate this life in this world to receive eternal life. Sounds backwards, dying to live, but it is true. We must be willing to serve Him in and with our lives.

Jesus was troubled at the thought of what He knew was about to take place but He  was willing to take upon Himself a greater burden than we have to face. Imagine all the sins of the world, past, present and future, laid heavily upon Him at the time of His death. The heaviness of any of our burdens can't compare. It's why He tells us to go to Him when we are weary and heavy laden...He has already gone through the trials and can sympathize, empathize, comfort and lift the burdens from us.

If we trust in Him to get us through the time of testing and trials, God will be glorified because of the testimony we will then have. God is glorified whenever anyone becomes saved by His grace. We cannot save ourselves. It is strictly by the hand of God...and He is glorified.

Jesus asked to be saved from His death, but He was still willing because of the unfathomable love He has for all of us. He doesn't just love the good people. No one is greater than another. He has enough love for each of us...and exactly the love we are in need of. His love heals. This healing brings life. By those stripes that were laid on His back we are healed...if we receive Him as Lord and Savior.

God was surely glorified in Jesus' death. He will be glorified each time another person chooses Christ. Glory to God.

John 3:14-16 - ...as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

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