20Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast.
* These are believed to be Jews living in Greece, visiting Jerusalem for the Passover Feast.
* Philip is a Greek name. He probably spoke fluent Greek.
21 Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."
22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.
* These Greeks had heard the rumors of a Messiah and wanted to see this Jesus.
* Philip, apparently shy at this point in his life, recruited Andrew to approach Christ with him.
23 But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 24 "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. 25 "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 "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.
* We apparently are not told the entire conversation.
* We do not see the question the Greeks asked.
* We only see the answer Jesus gave.
I. The Nature of the Savior
II. The Nature of Suffering
III. The Nature of the Servant
I. The Nature of the Savior (23)
* First, Jesus said the time has come for Him to be glorified.
* In a since, His mind was already there. He uses the term, Son of Man.
* I remind you that from earth, we look at Jesus and are amazed that He is the Son of God.
* From Heaven, the angels must look at the Eternal God and are amazed that He became the Son of Man.
* He refers to himself from the Heavenly view.
* Now it is close to the time Jesus would be glorified.
* We find out in other passages that this is actually a re-glorification.
* John 17:5, ""And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."
* Also note Philippians 2:5-11.
* I am not certain that we understand the brilliance of the Glory of Christ.
* The temperature of the surface of the sun is estimated at 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
* The middle of the sun is about 27 millionø Fahrenheit.
* The sun is 109 times wider than the earth and is estimated to be 333,000 times heavier.
* Yet some stars are 400 times larger than our Sun, which is almost a million miles in diameter.
* If you do the math, and I did, you would have to go around the world 126 times to travel the same distance it would take to go around some stars.
* If you traveled at 100 miles an hour for 12 hours a day, you can travel the surface of some of those suns on only 7 years.
* Stars burn constantly 7/24, 60 minutes every hour, 60 seconds every minute.
* How many stars do we know about? We keep finding more.
* With stronger telescopes and technology, we have discovered more than we would have guessed.
* In 2003, the known star count exceeded 70 sextillion.
* That’s a seven, followed by 22 zeros. Or it is 70 thousand million, million, million.
* We can’t even get our minds around that. Let’s try.
* How many grains of sand are on the earth’s beaches and deserts?
* Estimates are that there is 1/10 the number of grains of sand on the earth as discovered stars in our universe. (CNN.com)
* I would hate to be the guy commissioned to do that counting.
* How much power do stars and the sun generate each and every day, since the beginning of creation?
* Again, that is beyond our grasp. Where did all that power come from?
* That, I can explain. From the Words of Jesus Christ in His Glory.
* Jesus created all that power with simple words. Oh, His glorious power!
* Some always say, "Bro. Tim, you are getting God the Father and God the Son mixed up."
* Let me show you something.
* Colossians 1:15-20, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. 19For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross."
* Don’t forget Hebrews 1:1-4.
* We cannot grasp the glory of Jesus Christ. But we need to realize that it is beyond our understanding.
* That is the nature of our Savior.
II. The Nature of Suffering. (24-25)
* Dr. J. V. McGee says that Jesus spoke this from the shadow of the cross.
* That shadow loomed over everything He said.
* Jesus used an analogy of a grain of wheat.
* What is the purpose of wheat? Bread and food.
* But if the grain doesn’t die to that and be seed, there would be no more wheat.
* Jesus was speaking of His death.
* He was also speaking about our suffering.
* See, He also said, "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."
* No doubt, these Greeks wanted a Messiah to rule the world. What was that desire grounded in?
* Was it for righteousness to rule, or was it for selfish reasons, so these could be of the ruling class.
* These would have had privilege and honor as followers of the King.
* We studied earlier that Jesus knew what was in man’s heart and it didn’t need to be explained to Him.
* His answer reveals the motive of His audience.
* They wanted Jesus to be an earthly King so they could enjoy life. They wanted to love life.
* There is a lot to love in this life. There is a lot to loath in this life, also.
* That is the nature of suffering. You see, it is a matter of priorities.
* Through the years, I have met some special people.
* J. E. Warrington lived to be over 100 years old. He had had a good life.
* Yet, when I sat at his table, when the subject turned to heaven, his face lit up.
* Ms. Ella Pruitt lived to 103 years old. Every time she read an obituary of a friend, she would get a far away look in her eyes and ask, "Why couldn’t that have been me?"
* I can go on and on, even about some who were in this community.
* I’ve noticed that the longing for heaven becomes more acute the more the suffering.
* I have learned two things about the nature of suffering.
* 1) This isn’t heaven. Suffering reminds me of that.
* 2) The Kingdom of God can’t allow me to get to comfortable with this life.
* When I get comfortable in this life, it becomes about me, not Him.
* I believe this is the message He was trying to convey to this disciples and the Greeks.
* I ask, Why do some people give up the comfort and prosperity of the United States to go to foreign soil and serve as missionaries?
* Because they long for another homeland.
* Why did Paul suffer beatings, imprisonment, poverty, rejection and danger to spread the gospel?
* I will let him answer that question for you.
* Romans 8:16 - The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
* Paul said this was his number one reason for accepting suffering, for the Glory of God.
* We are His servant, and whatever He assigns, we accept.
* He also said there was another.
* Philippians 1:21-24. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 Fora I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. 24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.
* The second reason Paul chose to remain in suffering and not be taken to glory before his time was to serve the Lord unselfishly.
* Paul said he leaned towards staying in service to God as long as God was using him to help others.
* Do you see the contrast Jesus brought up?
* Loving one’s life, living for comfort and pleasure, is selfish and offensive to God.
* Accepting suffering for a little while in this life benefits others and pleases God.
* Peter put it this way, "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ." I Peter 1:6-7.
* Please do not miss this: Jesus said it was time for Him to be glorified, and then spoke of His death.
* For us, death and suffering seems like humiliation and loss. But in Christ Jesus, it brings glory.
III. The Nature of Service. (26)
* Jesus said, "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me."
* Follow Jesus where?
* I mentioned that Jesus was saying everything in reference to His coming death.
* He was speaking of the cross.
* Everyone in Jesus’ day had seen a crucifixion.
* Part of the roman ruling plan was to make sure everyone saw a crucifixion.
* This kept the people ruled by the Romans in check. They feared crucifixion.
* It served as a deterrent.
* That was where Jesus was going.
* How confusing it must have been earlier to hear Jesus say, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." Matthew 16:24.
* In translation, if you want to be a servant of Jesus Christ, you are called to accept suffering.
* Your focus is not to be on comfort, self-preservation or any other form of selfishness.
* You are not a servant of Jesus Christ until you say, "Lord, whatever you want to send my way, may Your name be glorified."
* Ill. A young boy was stricken with kidney failure. In response to his need, his entire class at school chose to be tested to be a donor. Miraculously, one of the boys in his class was a match.
* When he found out, he was asked if he was willing to give a kidney to his classmate. He began to cry, thinking it would mean his own death to save his friend.
* "No," he answered with a trembling voice. "He is my friend but I like me more."
* We will stand in judgment some day and the question will be answered why we didn’t take up the cross and follow Jesus.
* "Because I loved myself more."
* An interesting note: Many of the disciples did follow Jesus to death, being martyred for their faith.
* In their 40-80 years in this life, in their 20-60 years of service, they had it pretty rough.
* Yet, in heaven today, after 2000 years, not one regrets any suffering God assigned them.
* Not one resents the cross he had to carry.
* There will be much I regret in judgment, but it will not be what I dread here in this life.
* It will probably be things I cherish in this life.
* But the nature of service is to accept God’s assignment with joy and hope.
* One interesting note: The shy Philip.
* Christian tradition was that he, his sister and Bartholomew went to Greece, Phrygia and Syria to preach the gospel.
* In Hierapolis, Philip was arrested and crucified upside down on a cross.
* It is said that he preached the gospel until his last breath.
* Many may be saying that, to be bold for Jesus Christ is not in their nature.
* Yet, Jesus gives us a new nature. It may take some growth for us to find it, but it is there.
