Title: But If It Die
Text: John 12: 20-30
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Date: May 27, 2012
John 12: 20: And there were certain Greeks
among them that came up to worship at the feast:
These were
Greeks—Gentiles who had converted—to worship with the Jews. They came to Jerusalem because this was the week when the Passover
was observed. At the end of the week the
paschal lamb was slain.
The
Passover was commanded by God to remind Israel of how God redeemed them out of
Egyptian slavery by the lamb who died in place of the firstborn in the house of
Israel.
Christ
is the believers Passover. Christ laid
down his life at the end of that very week.
He is the Lamb who died in place of God’s elect, redeeming each one from
the bondage of sin.
John 12: 21: The same came therefore to
Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we
would see Jesus.
That is
a good request, “Sir, we would see Jesus.” If we see him—with God-given
faith—you will have eternal life, atonement, righteousness—all that you need to
be accepted of holy God and you will be complete in him. Theirs was a request that we would do well to
follow.
John 12: 22: Philip cometh and telleth
Andrew:
Why did
Philip come to Andrew? The Greeks wanted
to see the Lord Jesus, not Andrew. Why
did Philip go to Andrew first? The
answer is found in the way the Lord answered them.
It was
not safe to be a disciple of Christ in Jerusalem at this time. The chief priests wanted to kill Christ.
(John 11: 53-54) The chief priest gave
command that any knew where Christ was they were to arrest him and put Christ
to death. (John 11: 57) The chief priest
even wanted to kill Lazarus. (John 12: 10-11)
There were some things the disciples would
rather not suffer. They were slow to bow
to the truth Christ taught them. They
still held on to the idea that Christ came reestablish an earthly kingdom for
Israel as it was in David’s day—a kingdom on earth—he said,
John 18: 36: Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this
world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I
should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
We are slow to lay aside our thoughts for
God’s thoughts, our lies for the truth of God.
In our inner man created of the Spirit of God believers want to be saved
from this earth but our flesh still love the things of this earth far too
much—we are slow to let go of the earthy.
They did not want Christ to be rejected and killed
and they did not want to be rejected and killed for identifying with Christ. We don’t like to suffer do we? We want a Savior and a religion that everyone
likes—we do not want to be rejected by family and friends. We want rather have others in agreement with us,
instead of suffering persecution and rejection.
John 12: 22: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.
They knew what was best for them to do—go to
the Lord. Believer, this is always
best. When you face uneasiness,
suffering, persecution, rejection, when you are weak—at all times—it is best to
go to the Lord Jesus and pour out our hearts to him. He will answer.
Maybe, some of you here have been pouring out
your heart to him. But you haven’t
seemed to get an answer from him. Maybe
today he is about to answer you. Listen
carefully.
John 12: 23: And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is
come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
The hour had come when Christ—the Son of
man—should be glorified in the redemption of his people by the sacrifice of
himself. This is the hour he had been
telling them about over and over. Throughout the scripture we find, “his hour
had not yet come”—now he says, “the hour is come” that the Son of man should be glorified. This was the very purpose
of God, the will of God, the very reason for which God the Son took the nature of
his elect to glorify the Son of man.
John 17: 1: These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his
eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy
Son also may glorify thee: 2 As thou
hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as
many as thou hast given him. 3 And this
is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
whom thou hast sent. 4 I have glorified
thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine
own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Also,
the hour had come when Christ would be glorified in Andrew and Philipp’s heart.
Not that they were not already called, but they were about to see Christ in a
better light.
John 12: 24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a
corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it
bringeth forth much fruit.
In a single corn of wheat—there is much
fruit. Christ is the Seed.
Genesis 22: 18: And in thy seed shall all the nations of
the earth be blessed…
Galatians 3: 16: Now to Abraham and his seed were the
promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to
thy seed, which is Christ.
In Christ the Seed, from the beginning, there
was much fruit—God put all his elect in Christ the Seed before the world
began—the children of promise.
Ephesians 1: 3: Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in
heavenly places in Christ: 4
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of
children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his
will, 6 To the praise of the glory of
his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Illustration: Children
are in their father before they are born—then in time they were born of
him. Everything their father has worked
for and provided is theirs. But except
that corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone—as only one
corn of wheat. But if it die [that is
our title] it bringeth forth much fruit.
If that corn of wheat falls into the ground, dies, is buried, it brings
forth much fruit.
John 12: 24: Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground
and die, it abideth alone:
Christ is teaching them and us that it was
necessary that he lay down his life.
·
To do the work for his children
·
To put away their sin
·
To provide all righteousness for them
·
To provide their eternal justification
·
Eternal redemption—from sin and the curse of
the law
If Christ had not died then he would have
abode alone.
John 12: 24:…but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Christ obeyed his Father, he laid down his
life that he might give his children life eternal
Hebrews 10: 4 For it is not possible that the
blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. 5 Wherefore when he cometh
into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body
hast thou prepared me: 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou
hast had no pleasure. 7: Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it
is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and
offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not,
neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9 Then
said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he
may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest
standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which
can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice
for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth
expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he
hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Ephesians 1: 7: In whom we have redemption through his
blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace
Because Christ laid down his own life, he
brings forth much fruit. The
righteousness of God is manifested, that is, how God is just and the Justifer
of the believer. And all his children
are his fruit which are born of Christ.
James 1: 18: Of his own will begat he us with the word of
truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
All for whom he died shall be born of the
Spirit of God.
Isaiah 53: 10: Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he
hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for
sin, he shall see his seed, [his children] he shall prolong days, and
the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11: He shall see of the travail
of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Child
birth involves much travail—but when the child is laid in your arms you see the
fruit of your travail and are satisfied.
God saw the travail of his Son’s soul it satisfied his justice for he
bore away all their iniquities. And all
of Christ’s children shall be born anew n Spirit and in each child born he
shall the travail of his soul and be satisfied.
BUT CHILD OF GOD—WE WOULD HAVE
NEVER HAD LIFE—HAD CHRIST NOT WILLLINGLY LAID DOWN HIS LIFE AND DIED THAT WE
MIGHT LIVE.
We are like Philipp and Andrew. Sadly, we are slow to believe. We regard that as life which is death and
fail to recognize the death that is truly life. Philip
and Andrew did not say that—we usually don’t admit these things either—but the
Lord looks on the heart and he was answering what they were saying in their
heart. Here is the Master’s Lesson to Them and To
Us.
I hope he answers our heart right now like he
did theirs.
John 12: 24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a
corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it
bringeth forth much fruit.
You have seed—say a bag of peas. It
is yours. You can save it, eat it for a
momentary meal—and you will lose it—that will be the end of it. It never fell into the ground, it never died,
it abode alone—now it’s gone. Or you can
lose it—put it in the ground where it dies and have a whole harvest of peas
later.
John 12: 25: He that loveth his life shall lose it;
You have a life or so you think. You can save
your life:
·
From humility,
·
From confessing your sin and repenting
·
From losing your way and submitting to Christ
the Way
·
From family and friends rejecting you,
You can have a moment of pleasure called life
·
Maybe 10 years—50, 80, or 90 years
·
Then lose it. It will be over
John 12: 25:…and he that hateth his life in this world
shall keep it unto life eternal.
Or you can give up your life right now
·
Die to your lusts
·
Die to this world
·
Renounce all our works of righteousness
·
Repent from our sin
·
Live no more for the momentary gratification
of one bowl of beans
And have Christ the Life—eternal life—now and
in the world to come. But we cannot have
both!
Matthew 6: 24: No man can serve two masters: for either
he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and
despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
John 12: 26: If any man serve me,—any man—this applies to all who would serve Christ.
John 12: 26: let him follow me;—Christ was going to the cross, Christ was going to lay
down his life for his Father and for his brethren, Christ was going to give up
his life so that sinners can have life.
He says, “If any man serve me, let him follow me.”
John 12: 26:…and where I am, there shall also
my servant be:—he is not on hanging on a cross now, he is
not in a tomb now, he is seated, eternally glorified at the right hand of the
Father--If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall
also my servant be:…
Colossians 3: 1: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek
those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2:
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3: For ye are
dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4: When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
John 12: 26:…if any man serve me, him will my
Father honour.—The Lord Jesus was serving his Father in all
that he was doing in that hour—both in teaching his saints and in going to the
cross. He was serving the Father and the
Father honored him. Read the next verses
John 12: 27: Now is my soul troubled; and
what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I
unto this hour. 28: Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from
heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. 29 The people therefore, that stood by, and
heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.
30 Jesus answered and said, This voice
came not because of me, but for your sakes.
He just
told Philip and Andrew, and you and me, “if any man serve me, him will my
Father honour.” Then he showed us what
it is to serve him by how he served the Father, saying, “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from
this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name.”And
just as he said, “The Father would honor the man who served him, so the Father
honored him.” Then came there a voice
from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. He
said, “This voice came not because of
me, but for your sakes.”
Every
sinner who comes to the Father through faith in his Son, giving up this life
for Christ, to serve Christ desiring for our Savior to receive all the glory, the
Father has and will honor that believer the same way.
·
He honored us when he glorified Christ
raising Christ from the dead and us in him
·
He honored us and glorified Christ again when
he raised the believer from spiritual death in the new birth.
·
He shall honor us and yet glorify Christ
again in providing all our needs in this earth
·
He will again honor us and will yet glorify
Christ again when he raises our spirit to be with him upon death
·
He will again honor us and will yet glorify
Christ again when he raises our bodies anew in the resurrection
·
He will again honor us and will yet glorify
Christ again when he returns to be glorified in all saints and admired in all
them that believe.
Let a man hold on to his bowl of beans
Take the world, but give me the Lord Jesus Christ!
Amen!