What A Real Celebrity Looks Like
John 12:20-26
Intro: Our world is mesmerized by celebrities. We want to know what they wear, eat, do on vacation, who they are marrying or divorcing. Maybe its because we sometimes think celebrities are almost superhero. Maybe we want to see ourselves in them. I come from a small town called Brackettville. There’s not much to this town but there is one thing that puts us on the map. There’s a place called “Alamo Village” where many western movies are made. We’ve actually had some very popular stars come through there: John Wayne, Kenny Rogers, Travis Tritt, Reba Macintire. I think it was my senior year in high school when a certain movie was being filmed and Drew Barrymore was in it. My best friend made it his mission to meet her. And you know, because of his persistence, before the movie producers and actors and directors packed up and went back to Hollywood he was able to meet her! He just had to meet her.
Many go out of their way to get up close and personal with someone “famous.” That’s what we see here in John 12:20-26. In this context Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. He had just raised his friend Lazarus from the dead (among other miraculous events). A large crowd greets him on the road and throw a parade/party for him. This crowd was convinced that Jesus was their political Messiah! He was going to save them from political injustice. It was quite the parade.
As we focus on our text tonight we see in verse 20 that some Greeks who were on their way to worship at the Feast came to Philip with a request. The request was, they wanted to see Jesus. Maybe it was because they wanted to get his autograph, or maybe it was because they were ready to follow him. Maybe they realized that what Jesus was preaching wasn’t just for the Jews but for the whole world! (See verse 19).
Philip tells Andrew about the request then both Philip and Andrew tell their Master about the request. But Jesus doesn’t just give an outright answer. Why didn’t he just give a simple yes or no? How he responded was much more important than that.
“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” What he meant by that was the appropriate time had come for him to fulfill his mission. It was the opportune time because now the world (symbolized by the word “Greeks”) were ready to see him. Then he goes on in verse 24 and says, “I tell you the truth…” By the way, when Jesus says this you better be paying attention. “…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.” Jesus makes a profound statement about himself and his purpose using the kernel of wheat illustration. You see, unless his body falls to the ground and dies (and buried) there is no way there will be a harvest. Unless he goes to the cross, what these Greeks really need (instead of an autograph or their picture taken with Jesus) will never attain. His death produces a harvest of life, hope and purpose for us! Glory comes through death.
He then turns from talking about himself to talking about you and I. “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”
Verse 24 is about Jesus: only is his death necessary for our being a part of his harvest, of his life. Only through death was he truly glorified. But I believe Jesus is calling us to a certain death as well. Not a physical death but a death to business as usual. We must be grains of wheat that fall to the ground. How do we do that? By being a follower/servant of Jesus Christ. We need to see our lives with a different perspective. What is that perspective?
That perspective is, life is change what your life revolves around. “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.” Greatness for us is not found in titles, fancy cars, a lucrative career, a beautiful spouse. When Jesus says we are to “hate our lives” we need to understand what he is saying. He is NOT saying a literal, mean hate or despising of our lives. Jesus is using a Hebraic expression that means “love less”. We are to keep our lives here in the right perspective. Our relationship to him is far more important than anything else. How do you find greatness or celebrity status in this world? By becoming a servant. Verse 26 says “whoever serves me”. How do you view servanthood? Those who love their lives think servanthood is beyond them. “There’s just things I’m not willing to do because I’m afraid of what people will think of me. I’m afraid it’s beyond me”—this is the attitude of one who loves their lives too much. A servant is wondering whether or not it’s too small a task to do or worries what people will think about them. Notice he says, “Whoever serves me must follow me.” A servant wants to serve. He wants to follow where Jesus would serve. So if someone asks you, where do you serve, our answer is valid if we say “wherever Jesus is at.”
Let’s keep in mind where following Jesus can take us. Where did his road finally end? He walked the road of Calvary—the road that led to a cross. So, we can’t expect servanthood to be easy. It’s not easy all the time when you serve your spouse or family. It’s not always going to be easy to serve the Lord in a ministry at church. It’s not always going to be easy to serve and be a witness at your place of work. Being a servant came be down right tough.
Fifteen of us are leaving at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning to travel 5 hours from here to Piedras Negras, Coahilla, Mexico for a week long mission trip. We are not going to work on our tans (although that will be inevitable), we are not going to site see. We are going to a difficult place to serve. It will be very hot. It will be hard work. At our work site there is no running water and no indoor plumbing. We will be digging a drainage ditch for a facility for handicapped children. Many might say, “why are you doing that?” Why aren’t you out preaching on street corners and passing out gospel tracts and holding outside evangelistic crusades?” Our answer is simply, “because we are following Jesus and if Jesus were here in the flesh today he would have a shovel in his hand too.”
New Community we need to remember that Portland will not be won to Jesus without us dying to ourselves. It will not be won to Jesus with us living a life of ease loving the things of this world. I really believe that to make a difference in our communities, in our homes, in our world it’s going to take a dying to self, a getting out of our comfort zones, a sacrifice on our part. It’s easy to decide not to go to church. It’s easy to decide not to serve. It’s easy to decide not to meet someone else’s need even on your day off. But listen again to the words of Jesus, “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.” We can see a harvest of fruitfulness here if we keep this in mind.
Quote: "God will not look you over for medals, degrees, diplomas, but for scars." (sermoncentral.com)
I am reminded of the words Jesus said about Saul (Paul) before he began his life of public gospel ministry: “This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Acts 9:16
Quote: "I would never want to reach out someday with a soft uncalloused hand--a hand never dirty by serving--and shake the nail pierced hand of Jesus.’ Bill Hybels
I want more than anything else for me, my family, for you and your family to be where Jesus is. He is in heaven with the Father. He is glorified. The path that got him there was one of suffering, servanthood and sacrifice. The true path to glory (exaltation, peace, ultimate purpose) is one of servanthood.
Look at the promise he shares in the later part of verse 26: “My Father will honor the one who serves me.” The word honor means to prize. Do you want to be prized by the father? Become his servant, become a lifelong follower of him. This verse also reminds me of something too. “My Father will honor the one who serves me.” Don’t wait around until everyone else gets excited to serve God. My serving Jesus isn’t dependant on whether my wife Amanda wants me to. Even if I’m the only one, I want to serve him.
So what does a real celebrity look like? Not one with good looking features and a whole lot of money. But a servant who is willing to love less this life for the sake of following Jesus. I hope this is the kind of Jesus people are seeing in your lives.
At this time I want to ask those of you who are on our Mission 02 team to come up front for a time of prayer. I want to ask those of you who are family members and friends to come and kneel with your loved ones for a time of prayer.
