If you had to buy milk and eggs, would you go to a sports store? If you wanted to eat a big juicy hamburger, would you stop by a sushi restaurant? No. A sports store is an unlikely place to find groceries, and a sushi restaurant is an unlikely place to sink your teeth into a meaty hamburger. What about glory? Where would you go, what would you do to find glory? The world has many ideas and suggestions on where to find glory, but our text today teaches that glory is something Christians find in unlikely places. Real glory is found in death and in service.
Just days before the crucifixion, word came to Jesus that a group of God-fearing Greeks wanted to meet with him. Isn’t it interesting how unnamed gentiles sought Jesus at the beginning of his life (through the wisemen) and now again at the end of his life (through these Greeks)? Like they are we also eager to “see Jesus”? Or are we more keen on seeing the latest video clip making the rounds on the internet? Are we more eager to see the game on TV, or more excited to see our friends than we are to see Jesus? It’s my prayer that our text today will remind us again why we should be eager to see Jesus, and to meet with him often in his Word and Sacrament.
When Jesus heard that this group of Greeks wanted to meet with him it reminded him that his mission was soon drawing to a close. And so he said: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:23). How was it that Jesus would be glorified? Jesus would find glory in an unlikely way. Jesus explained: “I tell you the truth, 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” (John 12:24). With an excellent illustration Jesus helps us see that he would find glory in death. Glory in death? Doesn’t death signal defeat? If we didn’t think death was such a bad thing, we would never bother going to the doctor when we got sick; we would never shed a tear at a funeral. How is that Jesus can say death is glorious?
We will begin to understand how Jesus’ death is glorious when we grasp the seed illustration Jesus used. Just as the purpose of a seed is to be buried in the ground where it can germinate and grow into something productive, Jesus wants us to know that the purpose of his coming to this world was to be buried. Jesus came to die to pay for our sins. But death would not be the end of Jesus. Just as a seed that is buried sprouts and grows into a fruit-bearing tree, so Jesus would come back to life and bear fruit, eternal life for all those who believe in him. Therefore Jesus’ death on the cross was not a defeat; it was an important step in accomplishing his mission.
When we understand the glorious nature of Jesus’ death, we begin to see how we too can find glory in our death and the death of every believer. The death of a believer, like the death of Jesus, is not the end. It’s the beginning of an eternal glory in God’s presence.
But not everyone who dies will find glory. Jesus made that clear when he went on to say: “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25). If you want to find glory, don’t look where the world looks. The world thinks that money, fame, athletic skill, and good looks are glorious. These things, however, only produce a fading glory. This truth always comes alive for me when I hear about once-famous people trying to influence the world. Take Brigitte Bardot for example. Bardot is a French movie star once famous for her beauty. About twelve years ago she came to Canada to protest the seal hunt and, although at one time she was the toast of motion pictures, the beauty that made her famous has faded, and therefore her influence on politicians and the world in general has also faded.
Because this world can only give us fading glory, keep things in proper perspective. The life we have now is nothing more than a seed. It really isn’t that beautiful, nor is it the kind of glorious life God intended us to have forever. When we think this life is the only one we have, however, we start to run after things that don’t matter. We think that a better job, a bigger house, or driving the right kind of car will make our lives more glorious. But that’s like playing dress-up with Mr. Potato Head. You can dress up Mr. Potato Head in some pretty fancy clothes and accessories but it still doesn’t change the fact that underneath it all Mr. Potato Head is nothing more than a lowly spud. In the same way don’t waste your time dressing up this life at the expense of losing your hold on the next life. This life is only a seed for the next life. Die a believer in Jesus, and God will raise you to an eternal life gloriously free from sin and pain. Be like the Greeks of our sermon text and eagerly seek Jesus every day in his Word. And seek him here in the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Death is not the only unlikely place a believer will find glory. A believer will also find glory in service. Jesus said: “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me” (John 12:26). While the world says that if you have people serving you, then you have arrived, you have found glory. Jesus says, “Not so.” Real glory comes from serving God and one another. In God’s eyes the parent who faithfully helps her children with math and spelling, or the one who gets his hands dirty helping his neighbor with the yard work, and does this out of thankfulness for God’s grace will receive more glory than the most successful professional athlete or movie star who couldn’t care less about the Lord.
Knowing that our purpose in life is to serve God will move us to pray that God’s name be glorified in everything we do and experience. Our text can explain better what I mean. Although the thought of his approaching death twisted Jesus’ stomach into knots, he prayed: “Now my heart 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. Father, glorify your name!” (John 12:27, 28)
“Father, glorify your name!” Is that what we pray when we are faced with difficulty? Instead isn’t our first request, “Father, I thought you said you would glorify me? Well this pain I have, this uncertain future I’m facing…it’s not feeling very glorious!” But Jesus knew that glorifying God’s name would eventually lead to an everlasting glory for others and for himself. And so he was content to submit himself to his Father’s will, even if for a while that meant he had to endure unspeakable pain.
If God has seen fit to have you suffer chronic pain, be separated from your loved ones, or go through any other challenge right now, pray that his name be glorified through it. Pray that you will not focus on the challenge, but on your gracious God’s promise not to give you more than you can handle. Pray that as you work through the challenge you serve as an example to others so that they marvel and ask: “How do you do it? How can you stay so calm? How can you put up with such difficulty?” You will be able to answer then that it’s not you, but God’s grace, and in that way God’s name will be glorified.
When Jesus asked that his heavenly Father’s name be glorified, God answered him from heaven in a booming voice that sounded like thunder to some. The Father said that he had glorified his name already through Jesus’ ministry and he would do so again when Jesus faithfully accomplished the saving of souls. Although God may not answer your prayers with a booming voice from heaven, he has spoken to you through his Word. Sure, the world may think that God’s Word is just a lot of bluster, like the boom of thunder, but when you listen closely to the Word you will find the comforting promises you need to carry on with life in such a way that you seek to bring glory to God’s name, and not your own.
While you would never go to a sushi restaurant if you wanted to eat a juicy hamburger, today Jesus teaches us that some things, like glory, are found in unlikely places. Real glory is found in death – Jesus’ death, and the death of believers. Glory is also found in Christian service. It’s even found in suffering. May God help us remember these truths so that we keep our faith focused on Jesus until he calls us home to enjoy the everlasting glories of heaven. Amen.
SERMON NOTES
“We would like to see Jesus.” That’s what a group of believing Greeks said to one of the disciples. How can you show Jesus to those who would like to see him today?
Jesus compared his life to a seed. How is the life of a believer also like a seed?
As Jesus thought about his impending suffering and death, he prayed: “Father glorify your name!” What would a prayer like that mean if you offered it when:
- you were successful in school or business.
- you are dealing with chronic pain.
- you place your plans for the future before the Lord.
