Jesus – Page 19 – Three Minute Bible

March 28, 2019March 27, 2019

Obedience – John 12: 27-28a

“Now my soul 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!”

How many people would willingly go to their death in order that others might live? There are a few brave and selfless souls in the world who have given their lives to save others.

More often than not, people who give their lives were hoping it wouldn’t be necessary. The fireman or policeman who loses their life in the line of duty was doing something incredibly brave. In most cases, they were not planning on dying. The person who jumps in to try and save a drowning person and dies in the process didn’t mean to die, they just wanted to help someone else.

Jesus knew he would have to die. He also knew why, and he knew who would get the glory.

March 27, 2019March 26, 2019

Servant Possibilities – John 12: 26

Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

Yesterday’s post looked at the ultimate long life: Eternity. The challenge is that to keep eternal life we must give up our love for this life in the world. Jesus follows that statement with today’s instruction: The one who serves Jesus will follow Him and be with Him. Always.

This puts me in mind of the story in Matthew 19 about the rich man. Jesus tells him that to be “perfect” he needs to sell everything, give to the poor, and follow him. The rich man goes away sad, and the disciples, knowing that we all have “riches” of some sort, ask; “Who then can be saved?” I love the answer that Jesus gives them:

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

March 25, 2019March 24, 2019

Seeds – John 12: 24

Very truly I tell you, 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.

Why do we come here? Why bother with this blog? I think the answer might be in today’s verse.

This passage, in the context of John’s gospel, is about Jesus. Like a seed, Jesus has to die before he can bear fruit for heaven. Without redemption for sins, His creation stands condemned. Both He and the Father are righteous and just. They would have to be honest with themselves and find that the whole thing has to be chucked into the garbage bin.

By dying on the cross in the manner He does, Jesus makes it possible to redeem His creation. He now has the power to say to each of us, “Your sins are paid for. You are mine.” In this way, he redeems His creation so it can be salvaged from the trash.

During his ministry, Jesus used seeds as an illustration to explain several heavenly concepts. One of those concepts was the work he was doing on earth (1). He also uses the metaphor for seeds to explain the Kingdom of Heaven (2) and the concept of Faith itself (3). In Mark 4: 28 – 29 Jesus uses the seed illustration to explain that it is not the gardener who makes things grow, but God. Finally, we get to today’s verse where Jesus uses the seed allegory to explain his reason for dying on the cross. He also alludes to our own need to die to this world.

So why bother with this blog?

March 24, 2019March 23, 2019

H-Hour – John 12: 23

Jesus replied, ”The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”

Clear back in John 2:4, Jesus tells people that his hour has not yet come. John repeats this fact in chapters 7 and 8. Beginning here in chapter 12, Jesus says that the hour has now come.

On June 6, 1944, Allied forces invaded northern France by landing on the beaches of Normandy. The day of the invasion was called “D-Day.” In military lingo, the “D” stood for “Day.” Not just any day though, but THE DAY.

March 23, 2019March 22, 2019

Greeks – John 12: 20-22

Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. ”Sir,” they said, ”we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

John’s gospel has a very distinct tone and pace to the writing. We start out, “In the beginning…” (John 1:1) and move through a series of stories that all focus on the divinity of Jesus. As Jesus begins his ministry, the story embraces conflict with the Pharisees. Even this speaks to the divinity of Jesus. Eventually, we come to this verse about some visiting Greeks.

What?!

March 22, 2019March 26, 2019

On the Map – John 12: 19

So the Pharisees said to one another, ”See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

John’s gospel includes many interesting tidbits. This verse is one of them.

The Pharisees, who have been plotting against Jesus say, “…this is getting us nowhere.” What is the “this” that they are referring to?

Verse 53 in chapter 11 tells us that they were plotting to take Jesus’ life. Then in verse 57, we learn that they had given orders. Anyone with information on Jesus’ whereabouts should report it. Then they could arrest him.

It seems clear from the context here that what was getting them nowhere was their plan to arrest Jesus. Waiting on someone to betray him wasn’t working out.

If their goal was to quietly take Jesus out of circulation, they were failing miserably.

March 21, 2019March 20, 2019

The Word – John 12: 17-18

Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him.

Why do people “spread the word?” People talk all the time, and often the talking is just to pass the time of day. It feels good to talk and have someone listen to us. Yet, spreading the word is different.

March 20, 2019March 19, 2019

Humility – John 12: 14-16

Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:
”Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey’s colt.”
At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

These days, if visiting royalty were to come to town, or the President of the country, or even the Pope, they would be conveyed in a very nice limousine. They would also be accompanied by other people in more limousines. They might even have a police escort or other security around them.

Years before Jesus’ time, in the days of King David, people did something similar. When David’s son, Absalom, was plotting to take over the kingdom, he exalted himself by buying the fanciest chariot he could and then hiring fifty men to run ahead of him. (2 Samuel 15: 1)

Throughout time, the more important the person, the fancier the car, and the more people they have attending them.

Enter Jesus.

March 19, 2019March 16, 2019

Defiance – John 12: 12-13

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
”Hosanna!”
”Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
”Blessed is the king of Israel!”

Up to this point, John has skipped through three years of time rather quickly. In his gospel, John has given us a portrait of Jesus that emphasizes his divinity. Now we move into the second half of John’s gospel. In the next nine chapters, John covers the last few days of Jesus’ life before his crucifixion. In a way, it is if we have been watching a time-lapse movie of Jesus’ life. At this point, the movie abruptly shifts to slow motion. Now every moment is examined in minute detail.

We begin with an amazing closeup of Jesus as king.

John 11: 55 tells us, “When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover.” Verse 56 adds, “They kept looking for Jesus…” Perhaps some of these people had been with Jesus when he fed the four thousand or the five thousand. Many of them likely knew someone Jesus had healed. Many had been healed themselves.

This point is the crescendo of Jesus’ ministry.

It looks like the worst fears of the chief priests are coming true! The crowds have decided that Jesus is king. They defy their instructions to report a sighting of Jesus and ignore the chief priests. Instead, they welcome Jesus with palm branches and shouts of “Hosanna!” Out in the open! Without fear of the chief priests!!

Let’s Discuss: If Jesus had been a man like any other, and not God, what might have happened at this point?

March 17, 2019March 15, 2019

Pointer – John 12: 9

Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.

As people gather around the house that Jesus is in, the crowd grows. Already the small dwelling was full. Jesus’ disciples, and the friends and family that Mary, Martha, and Lazarus may have invited are there. Now the crowd presses in.

Lazarus has become a sort of celebrity. Once dead, now alive, I am sure people had many questions for him. In every case, I suspect that the answer Lazarus gave was, “Jesus.”