… Above all powers, above all kings
Above all nature and all created things
Above all wisdom and all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

… Above all kingdoms, above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There’s no way to measure what You’re worth

… Crucified, laid behind a stone
You lived to die, rejected and alone
Like a rose, trampled on the ground
You took the fall and thought of me
Above all

(Above All, lyrics by Michael W Smith)

John 12, The Message

A Grain of Wheat Must Die

^20-21 There were some Greeks in town who had come up to worship at the Feast. They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee: “Sir, we want to see Jesus. Can you help us?”

^22-23 Philip went and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip together told Jesus. Jesus answered, “Time’s up. The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

^24-25 “Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.

²⁶ “If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you’ll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment’s notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me.

^27-28 “Right now I am shaken. And what am I going to say? ‘Father, get me out of this’? No, this is why I came in the first place. I’ll say, ‘Father, put your glory on display.’”

A voice came out of the sky: “I have glorified it, and I’ll glorify it again.”

²⁹ The listening crowd said, “Thunder!”

Others said, “An angel spoke to him!”

^30-33 Jesus said, “The voice didn’t come for me but for you. At this moment the world is in crisis. Now Satan, the ruler of this world, will be thrown out. And I, as I am lifted up from the earth, will attract everyone to me and gather them around me.” He put it this way to show how he was going to be put to death.

³⁴ Voices from the crowd answered, “We heard from God’s Law that the Messiah lasts forever. How can it be necessary, as you put it, that the Son of Man ‘be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

^35-36 Jesus said, “For a brief time still, the light is among you. Walk by the light you have so darkness doesn’t destroy you. If you walk in darkness, you don’t know where you’re going. As you have the light, believe in the light. Then the light will be within you, and shining through your lives. You’ll be children of light.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Jesus declares who’s in charge and whose glory He seeks as Son of Man.  God, the Father, commands from the heavens, “I have glorified it, and I’ll glorify it again.” Father and Son are working in tandem to complete the Plan to save us for eternity. 

There is no other way.  A sacrifice must be made to pay for the sins of the world now and forever.  Jesus knows why He came and what He must do to save the world.  The Son of Man’s human blood will be shed as the Lamb of God to be glorified in this act of redemption for all who will believe. 

God Glory was/is/ always will be this Light that the darkness cannot overcome. All who believe in the Son of God, with a desire to follow Him, immediately become God’s Light, reflecting His love, so others can find their way out of the darkness. 

Jesus work on the cross, defeating death and rising again, was the “seed of grain” buried into the rich soil of redemption for all for the purpose of reproduces itself many times over.  The work of salvation does not end with Jesus’ time on earth but is reproduced exponentially through generations of believers who follow Him and point others to Him.  “Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others.”  2 Corinthians 5:11, NLT 

“And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, NLT

Jesus, Light of the world, comes to dwell and shine in believers of Him.  His Light in us cannot be contained or hidden. The Light shines brightly so the world will see we are different—children of Light—God’s own.

The Light came down from heaven as Son of Man and moved into the neighborhood of humanity to show us the glory of God.  (Talk about the world being lit!) The Light of the World pierced the darkness in ways no one saw coming. Most just wanted to see what He could do for them, bent on outside performance without consideration for the inside cleansing of their souls. But once the Light cleansed the soul, there was little desire to turn back to the darkness.  

“Time’s up.”  What chilling words from Jesus to his followers to deliver to the Greeks seeking to see Him.  They probably were seeking to verify what they had heard about Jesus.  Too late, says Jesus in a sense.  It’s time to do what I came to do.  That’s doesn’t’ mean that salvation could not be had, just that it was time for God’s Plan of redemption to take place in every detail, according to God through His Word.  It’s not like God didn’t tell His people before it was about to happen through His prophets!

AFTER dying, rising, and appearing then ascending; Jesus told believers He would return.  (Read John’s Revelation—it’s the last book of testimony in God’s Word!) There will be a time (and no one knows when); Jesus will return in all His glory to earth.  ALL will bow before Jesus.  (Philippians 2) 

There will be a time when it will be too late to believe and follow Him.  When He returns for His own; Jesus will either say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” or “Times up. Depart from Me, I don’t know you.” 

Choose now whom you will believe, love, and serve with all your heart, mind, and soul.

Believers: “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.”  Matthew 5:14-16, NLT

Believe.  If we really believe who Jesus is as Savior, really believing all that He did to reconcile us to God, to be really real—then we are the Light of Jesus—and we just can’t hide it!

Be like Jesus who seeks God’ Glory.  The central theme of this message is the glory of God. We would have expected Jesus to say, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be crucified.” But Jesus saw beyond the cross to the glory that would follow.

Lord,

I am so grateful that I saw the Light and was drawn to you early in life. But you had to teach me many lessons through trials, temptations because of my imperfections along the journey.  I learned that Your Light in me fades the farther I walk away from you to follow my own pursuits of what I think I want.  I am so glad that you run after me with your relentless love for me and bring me back into the Light of your glory!  I am grateful for the way your Light pierces the darkness to reveal Truth—You—in all circumstances.  I’m yours.  I’m listening.  Ready to serve at a moment’s notice.

In Jesus Name, Amen