Daily Dose of the Word of God - John 12: 20-29

Kelly Day, Director of Coffee Break Bible Study

Transcript

Kelly Day  0:07 

 
Welcome to Elmhurst CRC's Daily Dose of the Word of God. It's Tuesday, March 31st and today's reading is from John 12, 20 through 29. We're putting a spotlight on Jesus with the apostle John is our guide.

Kelly Day  0:22  

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

Kelly Day  1:52  

Very truly - I've been taught that whenever you see this phrase in the Bible, it's an indicator that the next thing Jesus says is really important. So listen up. "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." I'm not a great gardener and I've never planted wheat, so what is Jesus trying to say that's so important? I looked it up. A single kernel of wheat that dies and is buried can produce a new plant with one to three stalks bearing up to 100 kernels total. It takes a death for this reproducing to happen. Jesus knew the end goal and it wasn't to live to 100, going around healing people from physical illnesses. He knew he came to die. It took his death to save us, to give us new life and produce followers. Jesus knew the goal, yet his heart was troubled. He wanted nothing more than to glorify his Father in heaven. Yet, it would take pain and suffering. Jesus calls us to be his followers, to care less about the worldliness around us and more about the goal of serving him each day we have on this earth. Jesus came to earth to die and rise again so that he might save you and I from sin and death and destruction. Will you choose to follow him? Who will you spread this good news to this week?

Kelly Day  3:34  

Let's pray. Dear Lord our father. You are all knowing. You are the author of life. You are our Savior. I thank you Lord for sacrificing your own son so that we may live. I thank you, Jesus for withstanding heartache, pain and ultimately death for us. I pray that we may respond by believing in this truth, serving you and sharing who you are, our Lord and Savior to All Amen.