Will you pray with me as we come to God's word?
Let's pray.
Father, all of us, to some degree or another,
have had a chaotic week in this world,
the turmoil of this life.
Lord, you know each of our hearts.
You know what we need to hear.
You know what we need to see in you.
So we pray that you would show us the light of your son.
Lord, we all need to see your son more clearly this morning.
We need to know the life that you give us through knowing him.
So I pray that you would make Jesus clear to us,
show us his glory so that we might have life in him.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
I want to start this morning by asking,
what are you entitled to in this world?
That car spot at the front of your house?
Maybe some compensation, some money.
Do you have that feeling where you need your ideas to be validated?
People need to agree with what your opinion is.
Are you entitled for people to sympathise with your emotions?
Maybe we feel entitled to have a really satisfying job where we feel important and successful.
It needs to fulfil us.
Maybe we feel entitled to be comfortable.
Socially, physically.
Maybe you feel entitled to some peace and quiet.
Maybe you feel entitled to a holiday.
In an argument.
Do you have that thought process where I deserve to get my way.
My point of view is right.
I must have it.
I'm entitled to it.
I'm entitled to an apology.
I'm not loving that person until they apologise.
We don't really like it when someone's too entitled, do we?
I'm picturing, as a really small example,
I'm picturing like at a bakery or you're ordering a coffee
and you're not quite sure who the person's going to serve
and they're like, who was first?
And you know you were first.
But someone sees the opportunity
and they just go, oh, yep, and they take their order.
I've had a hard week.
Are you entitled to be respected?
To be loved?
To have that position in your company?
That position of power in the family?
That position of influence in the church?
Do you deserve it?
Who are you frustrated at at the moment?
What do you think they're not giving you that you deserve?
I think a sense of entitlement,
demanding what is rightfully owed to me,
it's the air we breathe in this world.
It's the language we all understand and operate on.
I wonder if we can treat God with a sense of entitlement.
I can easily get into the headspace of,
I've done this and this and this for you, God.
I deserve some leisure time now.
You have no right to tell me to do more.
Or maybe we can treat God really well in one area of our life
and so we deserve forgiveness for that other area.
Or maybe we praise him and thank him and pray to him in the morning
and we think we deserve a really smooth rest of the day,
trouble-free.
I wonder if we easily get frustrated at God
because he doesn't answer our prayers when we want him to.
Can we easily pray,
give me today my daily bread,
without also praying,
your kingdom come,
your will be done.
Amen.
What we deserve,
entitlement,
it's the air we breathe
and it seeps into our relationship with God,
it seeps into the church,
it seeps in everywhere.
And if we're honest,
I think we love it.
As we come to listen to John 12,
Jesus stands out from this world.
He is the light
that exposes the darkness.
He is the light
that conquers the darkness.
He is the light
that draws people into his life.
He stands out.
So let's look at him.
Let's listen to him in John 12.
In our passage today,
we're coming close to the last words
that Jesus speaks publicly
before he's executed.
And we see that an event happens
and it seems like not a big deal,
but it's actually symbolic.
It's a trigger
for the time that Jesus
is going to be glorified
as king of the world.
And then we're going to look
at the four aspects
of what it will mean for Jesus
to become king of the world.
He first tells us that
he's like the one seed
that is buried,
that is planted
to produce many seeds.
And this involves
him choosing to hate his life
in order to make the father known.
And by doing this,
by dying,
he will decisively
defeat
his enemies.
And by doing it,
on our behalf,
he's going to draw
the whole world to himself.
this is what it will mean
for Jesus
to become king.
So once we've looked
and listened
and seen Jesus' light,
we're going to be confronted
with two questions.
Is this the kind of king
that we want?
Is this what we're looking for?
And are we going to follow
this king?
So chapters 1
to 11
of John
cover about
three years
of Jesus'
public ministry.
But these
final ten chapters
slow right down
and focus on
Jesus' final week.
John doesn't want us
to miss
the gravity
of this moment.
Something big
is happening.
All Jesus'
powerful signs
that demonstrate
that he has been
sent by God the Father,
they've hit a climax.
Bringing a dead man
whose flesh
was starting to smell
after four days.
Calling him
out of the tomb
and then later
having dinner with him.
Who wouldn't
follow a king
into battle
who could
resurrect his people.
But John
wants us to focus
on something
even bigger.
Something is coming.
And if it's bigger
than that
it must be huge.
And John
keeps telling us
again and again
that the Passover
feast
is about
to begin.
The feast
that remembers
God's powerful
signs
through Moses
in saving
Israel
from the control
of Egypt.
Where God's
decisive act
of judging
Pharaoh and
Egypt
and delivering
his people
was the death
that hit
everyone.
But God
spared his people
through the land
that was sacrificed
so that death
passed over them.
And then
Jesus
rides
into Jerusalem
with all Israel
acknowledging him
as their king
crying out
Hosanna
save us
we pray.
What is
Jesus
about to do?
He's coming
into the city
of God's king.
Will he take
up his throne
surely?
Will he rule
over the world
from Jerusalem
smashing
all the nations
bringing prosperity
like never before?
We are on the
verge of the
fulfilment
of God's promises
in the Old Testament
like Psalm 2
the king
who will reign
over all the world.
The crowds
want it.
Jesus
raising Lazarus
he's got the power
to do it.
The Jewish
leaders
who are against him
they seem powerless
they seem frustrated.
Surely
with everything
in place
Jerusalem's
welcome
will trigger
the king's
ascension
to the throne.
But we find
a different trigger
in verses
20 to 23.
Have a look
with me.
Now among
those who went
up to worship
at the feast
were some Greeks.
So these
came to Philip
who was from
Bethsaida
in Galilee
and asked him
sir
we wish
to see
Jesus.
Philip
went and
told Andrew
Andrew and
Philip
went and
told Jesus.
that's a
pretty tame
trigger
for God's
biggest
moment
in history.
A few
Greeks
want to
see Jesus.
So what?
We might be
thinking.
There must be
something more
symbolic going on
here.
So what do we
know?
They're not
ethnic Jews.
They're not
descendants of
Abraham.
They don't
have any
right to
the kingdom
of God.
But they
have either
fully converted
to Judaism
or they
worship God
while remaining
fully Greek.
And they've
come to
Jerusalem to
worship at
the Passover.
If we
picture them
in Jerusalem
you won't
see them
inside the
temple.
They couldn't
go in there.
Only
priests,
Jewish
priests,
could go
in there.
You
wouldn't
see them
in the
inner
court where
the
sacrifices
were
offered.
Only
Jews
could go
in there.
You
can't
get that
close to
God if
you're
a
Greek.
There
is a
warning
sign
going into
that
courtyard.
If you
go in
here you
will be
stoned
to death.
They
would have
been in
the outer
courtyard
at best
trying to
worship God,
trying to
come close
to God.
given what's
going on in
Jerusalem at
the time,
it's not
surprising they
hear of
Jesus and
so they
approach
Philip,
who apparently
is a
Greek name,
so he
could speak
Greek,
we can
assume,
and he's
from a
Greek-speaking
town in
Bethsaida.
But Philip
seems a bit
unsure.
Maybe he's
expecting Jesus
to be king
of Israel.
Should he
waste time
with foreigners?
We're not
really told
what's going
on in
Philip's
mind.
But he
tells Andrew
and together
they seem
to think
it's a
good idea.
Maybe
they're
excited
by Jesus
growing
popularity,
so they
go and
tell Jesus.
And for
Jesus,
he's the
only one
who understands
what's going
on.
This is
the trigger.
He
declares
the hour
has come
for the
Son of
Man to
be
glorified.
At the
very start
of Jesus'
ministry,
he goes
to a
wedding
in
Cana.
And if
you remember
what happened
there,
what's his
response when
he's asked
to help
with the
wine that
has run
out?
He says,
my hour
has not
yet come.
John
just
puts that
in there,
his hour.
What is
it?
We're not
told.
It keeps
us in
suspense.
And then
we jump
forward a few
chapters and
Jesus is
speaking to
the Samaritan
woman at
the well.
And he
says to
her,
the hour
is coming
when neither
on this
mountain nor
in Jerusalem
will you
worship the
Father.
But the
hour is
coming and
is now
here when
the true
worshippers
will worship
the Father
in spirit
and truth.
Then in
chapter 7,
after all his
signs of
healing the
centurion's
son,
feeding the
5,000,
walking on
water,
he's teaching
in the temple
saying,
the Father
has sent
me.
The signs
clearly show
it.
And the
authorities try
to arrest
him.
And we're
told no
one laid
a hand on
him because
his hour
has not
yet come.
The hour
has come
for Jesus
to be
glorified.
What's the
trigger?
It's the
world being
drawn to
Jesus.
The Pharisee's
complaint the
world was
going after
him was way
more true
than they
even realised.
The main
purpose for
which Jesus
was sent by
the Father
into the
world has
arrived.
But how
can Jesus
draw people
who have
nothing to
do with
God's law,
who have
no original
share in
the Passover,
Passover?
How can
Jesus draw
people like
this to
worship God?
How would
Jesus be
lifted up as
king?
For a
Jewish person,
they might
think back to
the time of
Solomon,
where the
Queen of
Sheba comes
and sees
Solomon and
sees the
golden temple,
sees his
armies,
sees the
organisation of
his kingdom,
sees and
hears his
wise teaching.
And the
Queen of
Sheba was
speechless.
She was
amazed by
it.
Is this
what it's
going to
look like
for Jesus
to be
king of
the world?
It's not
what Jesus
has in
mind.
It's not
God's
plan.
We're
going to
look at
four aspects
of what
it means
for Jesus
to be
glorified.
God's
love.
The first one is
in verse 24.
Truly,
truly,
I say to
you,
unless a
grain of
wheat falls
into the
earth and
dies,
it remains
alone.
But if it
dies,
it bears
much fruit.
if you've
been to
the burial
of a
person
before,
have you
gone back
to the
cemetery
to see
what has
grown out
of what
has been
planted?
It's an
awful thing,
death.
when you
plant a
seed,
it's an
exciting
thing.
You see
the sprout
and then
it fully
develops.
But Jesus
isn't talking
about botany,
he's talking
about a
human body
being
planted
and producing
life.
Something
very
unique
is happening,
is going
to happen.
It's
unique
because
Jesus
himself
is
unique.
He is
the one
seed,
God's
one
son.
I was
reflecting
this week
how my
dad was
saved
out of a
non-Christian
family
to know
and live
for God.
God's
and I
was
really
thankful
for that.
And
then
by God's
grace
and God's
generosity,
I and my
brothers
know God
as well.
God's
love.
God's
love.
God's
love.
My mum
loves doing
family tree
stuff.
She's
looked up
Lincoln and
Leah in
Myanmar
trying to
trace their
family tree.
She's
looked up
Emma's
great-great-something
grandfather who
was the
first missionary
to New
Zealand.
Bit of a
mixed bag
there.
could you
imagine the
spiritual tree
that has
sprouted all
over the
world from
that one
seed being
planted 2,000
years ago?
I'd love to
see it, to
map it
out.
Us
sitting here
today is
fruit of
that.
Jesus'
glorification
as king,
he did
not use
a sword.
He didn't
send out
an army.
He did
it by being
planted in
the earth.
Jesus is
saying the
better
Passover is
about to
happen when
the Lamb of
God takes
away the
sin of
the world.
But don't
think for a
moment that
this was
somehow easy
for Jesus
to do.
He had to
struggle to
hate his
life in
order to
make the
Father known
in the
world.
Verse 27,
now is my
soul troubled.
That word
there,
troubled,
it doesn't
quite get the
force across.
It's like his
insides are
full of
revulsion,
the horror,
the anxiety.
What shall I
say?
Father, save
me from
this hour,
but for
this purpose
I have
come to
this hour.
The horror
of dying to
this world
and the
desire to
serve his
father are
clashing.
sin.
He doesn't
just cave
in to what
his father
wants out
of resentment.
He doesn't
fight and
dig his heels
in for what
he's entitled
to.
He doesn't
want to
die, but
he wants
something even
more than
not going
through with
it.
father,
glorify
your name
is what
he asked
for.
Make
yourself
known to
the world
through what
I do.
Bring
people to
worship
who you
are because
you are
worth it.
could you
know the
father's love
for you
any more
than when
you look
at the
son on
the cross
dying so
that death
and judgment
pass over
you?
Could you
know God's
love any
more than
that?
The father
has made
known most
clearly who
he is
because Jesus
chose to
hate his
life in
this world.
Imagine
what a
difference
it would
make in
your
relationships,
in your
workplace,
in our
church family
if we
shared
Jesus'
all-consuming
desire.
Not
save us
we pray
but
father
glorify
your name.
What
difference
would that
make?
for
Jesus
then a
voice
came from
heaven
I have
glorified
it and
I will
glorify it
again.
John's
gospel was
full of
people
testifying
and bearing
witness to
Jesus and
now we
have the
father
directly and
audibly
bearing
witness that
his son is
saying and
doing
everything
in service
of the
father.
This hour
of lifting
up the
son to
rule over
the world
first by
dying for
the sins
of the
world
this is
the
father's
plan.
It is
the
decisive
moment
for all
people
forever.
hearing this
voice the
people then
and us
now should
listen very
carefully to
what Jesus
says next.
In verse
31 and
32 he
interprets the
significance of
the hour of
his death
burial and
ascension to
the throne.
he uses a
theologically
loaded word
now.
Everything is
about to
change.
A shift is
about to
take place.
Now is
the judgment
of this
world.
Now will
the rule of
this world be
cast out.
When John
talks about
this world
he has in
mind all of
human society
that lives in
rebellion
of its
creator.
Not
thanking him.
Not
listening to
him.
Not
obeying him.
Not
living for
him.
That's
what
characterises
the world.
And when
this world
casts
judgment on
the son of
God thinking
he deserves
to die
it shows
the depths
of the
world's
stubbornness
not to
come to
God.
It shows
the depths
of the
world's
rejection
of God.
And the
cross also
is a
foretaste
of what
anyone who
treats God
that way
will one
day
experience.
Now is
the judgment
of the
world.
God's
judgment
of the
world.
This is
the time
for the
Passover
lamb
that Jesus
is going to
bear the
judgment
for his
people.
and the
ruler of
this world
will be
driven
out.
You
might think
in putting
to death
the heir
to the
throne
it might
have
seen
that
Satan
had
won.
But as
Jesus'
blood
cleanses
us from
all our
wrongs
Satan
has lost
his power
to accuse
God's
people
anymore.
Being
raised up
as king
over heaven
and earth
Satan
has lost
his
authority.
Those
who are
set free
are free
to serve
Christ.
And who
is this
for?
Who is
Jesus going
to save
and bring
under his
rule?
Like the
seed buried
in the
earth to
produce
many
now
Jesus
uses
a new
image.
The
image
of being
lifted
up.
John
here is
likely
picking up
the picture
in the
Old Testament
when the
snake
is lifted
up on
a pole
in the
wilderness
and any
one of
God's
people who
deserved
punishment,
anyone who
looked at
that snake
being lifted
up would
be instantly
healed and
forgiven.
Jesus
will be
lifted up
in his
death and
his
ascension
to the
throne in
heaven and
anyone who
looks to
him will
be saved.
And what's
the result
going to be?
The result is
the whole
world will be
drawn to
him.
Everyone
without
distinction,
whoever looks
to him.
Remember
what triggered
all this?
The Greeks
wanting to
see him.
This is
the profound
answer to
their desire
to see
him.
After
Jesus
completes
the hour,
Jesus
calls
everyone
everywhere.
In
me,
you can
approach
God,
you can
know God's
love for
you.
In
me,
come.
Come.
Imagine
if you
were one
of those
soccer
boys in
Thailand
that were
trapped a
couple of
years ago
in the
cave that
collapsed.
Living
in
darkness,
trapped
after 18
days of
being in
the
darkness,
any hope
of your
life being
saved is
just fading
away every
hour.
The
moment that
you saw
light,
when the
rescuers
made an
opening,
how would
you feel?
Bored?
would you
be drawn
to it?
Jesus is
the light
of the
world,
and his
cross will
draw all
people from
all over
the world
into his
life.
It's
happening.
You and
I are the
fruit of
it.
He will
continue to
do it
until he
has saved
every one
of his
sheep.
He will
save every
one of
his sheep.
So we're
left with
two questions.
Is this
the kind
of king
you're
looking
for?
In
verses
34 to
36,
the crowds
fail to
hear the
affirmation of
the Father's
voice from
heaven.
They don't
listen to
Jesus.
Instead,
they enter
into a
debate with
Jesus.
We've
heard from
the law
that the
Christ remains
forever.
How can
you say
that the
Son of
Man must
be lifted
up?
It seems
like a
legitimate
question.
Isn't
the Christ
meant to
remain
forever?
How can
he die?
They're
okay with
Jesus calling
himself king.
They love
that label.
They're just
not a huge
fan of the
content.
What type
of king
are you
claiming to
be,
Jesus?
They
justify
themselves
thinking
they're
interpreting
the Old
Testament
right,
but they're
not listening
to the
Father's
voice.
They're
not
listening
to
Jesus'
voice.
For us
today,
we've got
to ask,
are we
actually
listening
to John's
voice,
God's
word?
They
want a
triumphant
Christ,
not a
Christ that
dies.
They're
Jews.
They probably
have a
sense of
entitlement
to be
part of
the kingdom,
to receive
the blessings
of their
idea of
the kingdom.
They do
not like
the pattern
of a
crucified
Christ who
says,
follow me.
God's
love.
I think this
confronts us
when we think
about the part
of our
life that is
really hurting
us at the
moment.
What type
of Christ
do we want
at that
point?
A
Christ who
will give
us the
victory
and remove
our pain?
or a
Christ who
calls you
to follow
him in
his death,
to make
God known
to the
world?
Is this
the kind
of king
we're
looking for?
Jesus'
response,
walk while
you have
the light,
lest darkness
overtake you.
The one
who walks
in the
darkness
does not
know where
he is
going.
While you
have the
light,
believe in
the light
that you
may become
sons of
light.
We've got
a choice of
whether we
will listen
to Jesus
or not.
Will you
not listen
to Jesus
and be left
alone in
the dark
following the
ways of
this world
towards
judgment?
Or will
you trust
in the
brilliance
of his
light as
he lays
down his
life for
you and
become a
son of
light?
If you
think back
to how
you came
to know
God,
have a
think back
to who
it was
that God
used to
introduce
God to
you?
Did
they lay
down
their
life
in
some
way
for
your
sake?
Maybe
giving
their
time?
Maybe
you
notice in
them that
they
returned
evil with
love?
This is
the pattern
that God
uses to
make his
name known.
If that's
the case,
I think
when things
are difficult
is actually
the best
opportunity
for us to
show that
we are
following
Christ.
So that
injustice
in the
workplace,
instead of
demanding
what you're
entitled to,
is an
opportunity
to pray
Father,
glorify
your
name.
The
agony
of being
in an
argument
with a
friend or
loved one,
it's an
opportunity
to pray
Father,
glorify
your
name.
the
pattern
of the
cross,
help me
lay down
my life
for this
person's
sake,
for your
name's
sake.
When it's
going to
cost you
to help
someone,
Father,
glorify
your
name.
Jesus
challenges
us with
the words
in 25
and 26,
whoever
loves his
life,
loses
it.
Whoever
hates his
life in
this world
will keep
it for
eternal
life.
If anyone
serves me,
he must
follow me
and where
I am,
there will
my servant
be also.
If anyone
serves me,
the Father
will
honour
him.
our king
has been
glorified
through his
death and
resurrection.
He is
king of
the world
and he
showed us
the way
to glory.
His way
has nothing
to do
with fighting
for what
you're
entitled
to,
but he
chose to
lay down
his
life
to give
life to
you,
to the
world,
to make
the
Father's
love
known.
When
people see
you,
do they
see just
another
person of
the world
fighting for
what is
rightfully
theirs?
Or do
they see
a child
of the
light?
someone
who
lays
down
their
rights
so
that
others
might
see
Christ's
death
through
you,
that the
Father
might be
known,
his love
known,
so that
they might
come to
life in
Christ.
Our
king
is
glorified,
he is
king of
the world
and he's
shown us
the way
to glory.
The question
is will
we follow
him?
Would you
pray with
me?
Our
Father,
we
confess
that
there's a
big part
of us
that
loves
our
life
in
this
world.
Lord,
forgive us
for
clinging
to it.
Lord,
our love
for the
world
makes us
struggle
to see
Jesus
clearly.
God
God,
we
thank you
that
you
have
spoken
and
that
you've
helped
us
see
Jesus
again.
Please
continue
to show
us
your
son
more
and
more
for the
rest
of our
days.
Father,
I pray
that you
give
all of
us
individually,
in our
families,
as a
church,
a deeper
and deeper
appreciation
for
Jesus
laying
down
his
life
in
order
to
give
us
life
so
that
we
can
know
you
as
our
father.
Lord,
I pray
that you
would use
us
as a
church
to
follow
you,
to
be
characterised
as
people
who
lay
down
their
life
for
others'
sake
so
that
you
might
be
known.
In
Jesus'
name I
pray.
Amen.