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John 12 - Devotion · The Five Minute Bible Podcast

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  Welcome to Five Minute Bible in our journey through the New
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  Testament. In each episode, we take just a
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  few minutes to focus on one chapter of the New Testament,
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  exploring the truths God is teaching us through His Word and
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  expanding our view of who He is. Before you listen, make sure
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  you've gone straight to the source, either by reading
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  today's chapter of the Bible yourself or listening to today's
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  read along episode in this podcast feed.
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  If you haven't done that yet, feel free to pause and do that
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  now. When you're ready, let's dive
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  into God's Word together. As we come to John chapter 12,
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  we have reached what is essentially the midpoint of the
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  book of John. What is interesting here is that
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  here in John chapter 12, we see Jesus entering Jerusalem prior
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  to Passover and his imminent death.
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  This is what we've come to know as Palm Sunday, one week before
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  Jesus resurrection and a mere 5 days before his death.
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  That is to say that half of the book of John is dedicated to the
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  last week of Jesus life before his death and the short period
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  of time he was on the earth after his resurrection.
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  This is the culmination of the life of Jesus.
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  This is why he came. We've heard his teaching, we've
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  seen his miracles, but his death and resurrection?
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  That is why he came to earth. With that in mind, listen to
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  what Jesus says shortly after his triumphal entry into
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  Jerusalem. We'll start in verse 20 and read
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  through verse 26. Now there was some Greeks among
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  them who were going up to worship at the feast.
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  These then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee
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  and began to ask him, saying, Sir, we wish to see Jesus.
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  Philip came and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip came and told
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  Jesus, and Jesus answered them, saying, the hour has come for
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  the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly.
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  I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and
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  dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
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  He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in
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  this world will keep it to life eternal.
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  If anyone serves me, he must follow me, and where I am, there
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  my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, the Father
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  will honor him. Jesus says that it is time for
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  the Son of Man to be glorified. This glory will not be in the
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  way that the Jewish people were expecting the Messiah to be
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  glorified. Jesus will not be lifted up to a
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  throne. No, he'll be lifted up to his
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  death on a Roman cross. And he tells us exactly what
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  that path to glory is. Unless a grain of wheat falls
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  into the earth and dies, it remains alone.
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  But if it dies, it bears much fruit.
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  The laying down of himself, the laying down of his own life,
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  will result in his glory and ultimately in a great harvest
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  for the Kingdom of God. And Jesus doesn't stop there.
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  He calls all of his followers into that same death to self.
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  He says he who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his
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  life in this world will keep it to life eternal.
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  And again, if anyone serves me, he must follow me.
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  Jesus isn't requiring literal martyrdom of all his followers,
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  though that will certainly be the end for some of them,
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  including ten of his 11 faithful disciples.
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  So what does Jesus mean when he says that we like he must die
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  like a grain of wheat dies when it is buried in the ground?
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  Listen to how Paul puts it in Colossians 3 verses one through
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  4. He says.
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  Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep
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  seeking the things above, where Christ is seated at the right
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  hand of God. Set your mind on the things
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  above, not on the things that are on earth, for you have died
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  and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
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  When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be
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  revealed with Him in glory. If we are in Christ, if we are
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  really going to follow Christ, our old lives are over.
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  Our flesh, our sinful desires, our tendency to do what is easy
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  and self-serving have been put to death with Jesus.
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  We are new and it is in that constant laying down of our own
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  desires, of our own selves that we find true, abundant life in
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  Jesus. It is in that laying down that
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  we will be glorified with Christ.
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  So what parts of your old self are you holding on to?
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  What parts of your flesh need to die in order for God to do
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  something new in you, in order for God to glorify Himself
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  through you? Don't hold on to them.
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  Give them to God and allow Him to produce a great harvest as
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  you lay down your life.