John 12:20-33 Onlookers or Followers (Robb) – Bible study
Sermon John 12:20-33 Onlookers or Followers
ByJoseph Robb
My sister tells of the time she and her husband were going through the Denver airport and there he was Bill Cosby coming right in front of them and about to go by them.
She got all excited and glued her eyes to him saying Youre, Youre, Youre and as passed he said, Thats right!
How many times do we get excited when we see some celebrity or when we know someone else has JUST seen them and they are still near us?
The golf classic is filled with these kinds of moments as guys pass in front of the crowds. Ive worked the tournament over 25 years now, and I hear people saying whos playing in this group? Is it so and so (and they name the person they are looking for)?
In this morning’s Gospel lesson we have a similar situation. It was the time of the Passover, and people were coming to the temple to worship. It wasnt just the Jews that came on Passover others came also.
On this occasion there were some Greeks who were coming, and Greeks often wanted to worship the ONE GOD but didnt like the route of the proselyte Circumcision. So, they came to worship, but stopped short of the ritual of becoming a full worshiping Jew.
These Greeks had also heard that Jesus was there, and they wanted to meet him. SO, they approached the disciple Philip asking if they could SEE Jesus. Philip tells them he will go and see what he can do for them.
Thats the last we hear of the Greeks, but they set the stage for the story.
Many people sought after Jesus. He had gained great acclaim among the people and many wanted to just see this miracle worker this great preacher this man who had received so much notoriety near and far.
Just a glance!
But the story moves from their wish to SEE Jesus to Jesus turning this into a time to talk about WHO he is looking for, and how that fits with WHAT HE IS ABOUT.
He goes about it in two steps: First, he uses the illustration of a seed; and secondly, he talks about the way he came to be in Jerusalem in the Temple at that time.
The seed: I dont have to tell you folks from an agricultural community about seeds and how they bring about their fruit. But Jesus uses this illustration to talk about who he is looking for a particular trait he wishes his followers to have.
And what is that trait? It is DEDICATION. He knows that many have come to see him to get a look. They are curious. They want to be able to say, We saw the GREAT TEACHER so they can feel important.
Isnt it true, that we are all over telling people about the famous people we have met but we arent as good at telling people about who we met that made our lives better.
Jesus wasnt looking for onlookers. He was looking for true, tried, FOLLOWERS. People, who like the seed would die, if necessary, so the seed he planted inside them would bear fruit.
Jesus was looking for people who would be dedicated to his mission.
AND, what was his mission?
Jesus mission was to save the world from judgment.
It meant he would die? (Like the seed)
He told them how he argued with himself about following this path. How he knew it was not going to be pleasant, but, yet, how he knew that his mission wouldnt have a chance to grow if he turned away from this path his Heavenly Father had chosen for him.
For Jesus, this is a time like that last night in the Garden of Gethsemane where he again set himself to his mission If it is possible, remove this cup from me YET not my will but yours be done.
If Jesus was going to accomplish the mission God the Father sent him to fulfill, he would need the fruits of his seed to continue after him those DEDICATED to Gods mission to the extent he was.
As this Lenten season comes to a close, we ask ourselves once again and everyday Am I an ONLOOKER wanting to SEE Jesus; OR, Am I a FOLLOWER of Jesus DEDICATING my life to him?
Amen!
Copyright 2012 Joseph Robb. Used by permission.