Moments to Ponder

Episode 137: The Kernel of Wheat: Jesus' Final Week and Sacrifice (John12:12-50)

• Betsy Marvin • Season 15 • Episode 137

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What happens when expectations collide with divine purpose? Palm Sunday wasn't just a day of celebration—it was a moment when two kings entered Jerusalem from opposite directions. On one side, Pilate with Roman military might; on the other, Jesus on a humble donkey. The contrast couldn't be more striking.

Through John 12, we journey with Jesus during his final week as tension builds toward the cross. The crowd waves palm branches—not random foliage but potent nationalist symbols—while shouting "Hosanna" (save us). They're looking for liberation from Rome, but Jesus has an entirely different salvation in mind. When he declares "the hour has come," it marks a pivotal shift in his earthly ministry. Through the metaphor of a kernel of wheat that must die to produce many seeds, he reveals the paradoxical nature of his kingdom: true life comes through sacrifice.

The crowds wanted a warrior-king like David; what they got was a homeless rabbi talking about dying to self. Their confusion mirrors our own struggle to accept God's ways when they don't align with our preferences. Do we love human praise more than God's approval? Are we willing to acknowledge Christ publicly? As we ponder Jesus' final public teachings about becoming "children of light," we're challenged to examine where our true allegiances lie. Walk with us through this powerful transition point in Jesus' ministry and discover what it truly means to follow the servant-king. Ready to let his light transform your darkness?

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Speaker 1:

Hi friends, welcome to Moments to Ponder. This is a podcast designed to help you spend a few moments in God's Word, gain fresh perspectives and find meaningful takeaways to ponder throughout your week. I'm Betsy Marvin and this is Episode 137. Imagine this with me it's spring, the air is warm and the sun is shining. As people fill the streets, you can smell the tang of fruit and the aroma of fresh matzah. As you make your way through the market, you're looking for the nuts and spices your mom requested for the charles set.

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If there just weren't quite so many lambs, this would be so much easier. They seem to be everywhere as people enter the city for Passover. But it's this way every year so many people visiting the lambs, the noise and the laughter. Then you hear it the clink of armor, the hooves of horses Marching feet. You can feel the tension rising around the market and as it approaches it grows. It's the Roman soldiers. Lots of them. Some are on foot, others on horses, and in the middle is the Roman governor pilot in full battle regalia, with the additional 200,000 people or so in the city for the eight-day holiday. You know it's a show of force. It's a reminder of who rules this land. Thousands of people celebrating their liberation from an oppressor that held them for hundreds of years, remembering how God brought plagues and split the sea. It might just give some of the more rebellious-minded ideas.

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Finally, the procession passes and you continue shopping. After some searching, you're unable to find the spices you need. So you work your way across the city from the west to the east, hoping the market by the east gate isn't sold out. West to the east, hoping the market by the east gate isn't sold out. As you approach, you see that the street is covered with palm branches and a few robes as well. Palm branches are a Hanukkah thing, not Passover and robes. What happened here? There's definitely an excitement in the air, a sense of joy, and you catch bits of conversations Savior, king, jesus, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. It's here that we begin. John 12, 12.

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The next day, the day after Mary's anointing, 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. 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.

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At first, his disciples did not understand all of 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. 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. So the Pharisees said to one another See, this is getting us nowhere. Look at how the whole world has gone after him.

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We have come to call this day Palm Sunday not only because it happened on a Sunday, but because of all the palm branches. It marks the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem to shouts of praise. People were shouting Hosanna, which means save in Hebrew, and they were waving palm branches, which had become a national symbol after the rededication of the temple in 164 BC. The Maccabees had been proclaimed kings, as palm branches waved way back then, palms were even put on their coins. This moment, then, has Hanukkah vibes, as people look to Jesus to save. Much like the Maccabees did? They want a king. As they wave their national flag, the palms, and they cheer save. They have a clear message Save us from Rome, you are our king. I mean, if Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead, he could save us from Rome. The irony of both of these processions happening at the same time Pilate and Jesus, yet on opposite sides of the city. Well, it's interesting, isn't it? And the Pharisees are getting nervous. Not only is Jesus causing a scene that the Romans can't help but notice, but they're waving palm branches, a sign of nationalism. Their fear of an uprising is getting real. If you don't know this story, this day marks the beginning of the final week of Jesus before his crucifixion.

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Palm Sunday marks the start of what Christians call Holy Week. Jesus commutes from Bethany each day as he returns to Jerusalem. On Monday, as recorded in Matthew, mark and Luke, we read of Jesus clearing the temple for the second time and many different teachings. But John chose not to write about Monday, so on Tuesday we pick up at verse 20.

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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 and Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. Jesus replied.

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Jesus replied seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world 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. Did you catch it?

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Jesus said the hour has come. After hearing over and over, my time has not yet come. Like to Mary at the wedding or to his disciples, he now says it's time. He, like a kernel of wheat, cannot remain as a single seed but needs to die and be broken in order to produce many seeds, meaning a life for many lives, which harkens back to what Caiaphas has said in John 11,. But this isn't what Caiaphas meant. The sacrifice, obedience, that's the key. Christ's obedience, that's the key. The dying to self is there in between the lines. Jesus is doing this, his time has come and he expects his followers to do the same. He said whoever serves me must follow me. And where is Jesus going? To the cross and later to his eternal home. So then, what do we do? Well, that's where he calls us servant. It's the service, the giving our lives in return. And he tells us that God will honor that.

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Jesus continues in verse 27. That Jesus continues in verse 27. 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, your name. Jesus is troubled, he's uneasy.

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John doesn't write of Jesus praying in Gethsemane, but that's the feeling here. He's deeply troubled. We can see his vulnerability, the desire to not suffer, and yet, knowing that that's actually why he has come, he knows the violent death he faces and in this moment he says Father, glorify your name. I'm not sure I would be glorifying God in a moment like that, but then verse 29 tells us then a voice came from heaven. I have glorified it and will glorify it again. The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered. Others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said this voice was for your benefit, not mine. This is the third time we hear an audible voice of Jesus in scripture, at Jesus' baptism, at his transfiguration, which isn't actually written of in John and in this moment. This is another detail. I hadn't noticed the people who were there heard God speak and God said I will glorify it, meaning I will glorify his name, which is actually Jesus.

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Verse 31,. Jesus is speaking and he says now is the time for judgment on this world. Now the prince of this world will be driven out and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, of this world will be driven out and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. The crowd spoke up. We have heard from the law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say the Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man? One commentary I read noted that the people had only really been taught the passages from the Old Testament that spoke to the triumph of the Messiah, the living forever part. They were mostly unaware of scriptures like Psalm 22 or Isaiah 53 that spoke of suffering and thirst bones melting within him. They didn't know the hard part, so they're confused, which in hindsight we can completely understand.

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Verse 35,. Then Jesus told them you are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light before the darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know what they're doing. Believe in the light while you have the light so that you may become children of light. When he finished speaking, jesus left and hid himself from them.

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Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah, the prophet Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For this reason they could not believe because, as Isaiah says elsewhere, he has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts so that they can neither see with their eyes nor understand with their hearts nor turn. And I would heal them. Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him. Just a little note here this doesn't mean that God hardened their hearts, but that God allowed them to live with the choice they had made. They were so set in their ways they wouldn't even try to understand the message of Jesus.

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We continue in verse 42. Not openly acknowledge their faith, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue, for they loved human praise more than praise from God. Then Jesus cried out whoever believes in me, does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. If anyone hears my word but does not keep them, I do not judge that person, for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words. The very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day, for I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life, so whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say. These words will be the final ones of Jesus' public ministry. How he spends the next day, a Wednesday, is a mystery that no gospel writer speaks of.

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As noted in this section, the disciples only understood the fulfillment of prophecies after the fact which caused them to see Jesus' words in a new way. John could see the deeper truths, how the seed was buried and produced more fruit. He connected the words of the prophet Zechariah to the donkey and the words of Isaiah to the hardened hearts of the people. The people were flocking to Jesus because of his miracles, because of Lazarus. This fame will be short-lived, but if we lived back then would we have faltered as well? Rome's might and power, wealth and luxury. They're tempting. Pilate put on quite a show, and this is what the people are looking for a warrior king like David. But what they got was a homeless rabbi on a donkey. It was not what they expected.

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It didn't take long for the people to realize that they had the wrong idea about Jesus. He was not going to be a national leader restoring the glory of Israel. He was not speaking into the political climate at all. And they turn against him. Oh dear one, how often do we turn against the Lord because he doesn't do what we expect? What we expect? How often do we wonder what is he up to when we see our world shine in one way and Jesus' quiet return in the other?

Speaker 1:

There are many ways we could apply this chunk of scripture, but what stands out to you? But what stands out to you, is it the people and their focus on national freedom on Palm Sunday rather than the spiritual freedom that they could have had. Is it the words of Jesus? Anyone who loves their life will lose it Will. Anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Are you willing to love God more than the things of this world? What are you willing to sacrifice to follow him?

Speaker 1:

Verse 42 and 43 spoke of those that believed in Jesus but were afraid of what others would think. Can others tell that you know Jesus? How do you let people know where you stand with God? We are called to be Christ's light bearers in this world, his children of light. Can people see your light? All of these are connected. In this way Can we lay down our own agenda, our pride, our fears, and fully follow him wherever that might take us, wherever that might take us During this Lenten season, as we ponder the final days of Jesus and his sacrifice for us, may his words sink in. Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. May you walk in his light, dear one Amen. May you walk in His light, dear one Amen.