God's Solution for Human Mess-up (John 12:20-33)
These Sundays, we have shared the messages about Jesus’ identity. Jesus Himself declared “I amt eh bread of life” “I am the light of the world” “I am the resurrection and the life.” And Jesus stated the gospel of eternal life in Jesus Christ. However, did they believe this?
They have rejected the gospel and accused Jesus. The Son of God came to give life to the dying, but rather they tried to kill Him. It seems no way to make them believe Jesus and to be saved. If you were Jesus, what would you do?
Jesus didn’t give them up and chose the cross.
John 12:24 says, “unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains itself alone. But if it dies, it produces much fruit.”
How could dying on the cross be a method to persuade obstinate people who refused to believe? Jewish leaders wanted to proclaim that Jesus was cursed by God by crucifying Him on the tree. However, the cross was God’s wisdom, love, and power to save sinners.
There was a single mom raising her son alone. Although it was hard for the mother to raise her son alone, she overcame the difficult time with her love for him. Son has grown up to be 25 years old. One day, he said to his mother, "Mother, I need $300,000 to do business. Help me." All she had was a house she had just paid off. Son wants mom to sell the house for the money for the new business. Mother saw it was too risky and didn’t want to sell the house. However, son whine and nag every day and finally doubt about the mom’s love saying, “Mom doesn't love me. She is not my real mom," breaking her heart. One day, mom decided to sell the house and to let her son start the new business. However, it didn’t take a year for the business declared bankruptcy and the mom started working on 2 jobs. She knew he would fail but helped him. Why? First, he had to experience failure to realize that his idea was wrong. And it was to convince the son of the unchanging mother's love. She sacrificed all she had to get her son’s heart. This is the cross. He chose the cross to reveal our sins and to convince us of God's love
The cross is the wisdom of God that reveals the folly of the world, the uselessness of human righteousness. Verse 31 says, “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.” It was the Jewish leaders who crucified Jesus, the son of God. The governor Pilate reluctantly handed over Jesus to be crucified. They were the ones who prided themselves on being wise, the ones who had power. But they did not recognize the Son of the Creator, condemned him, and crucified him. There will be no greater sin and no greater error in the world than this. By being crucified Jesus revealed their folly and sinfulness. Therefore, the cross is God’s wisdom to persuade stubborn and prideful people who think they are doing good.
The cross is the love of God who forgives sinners. They didn’t come to God because they doubt about God’s love. But the cross reveals God’s love. God knew that men would crucify him. Nevertheless, he sent Jesus as a sacrifice for human sins. When we consider God who has prepared our sin offering, we can see how determined he is to forgive our sins.
The cross is God's power to save all nations. Verse 32 says, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." Through the death of the cross, the door of salvation is opened to all. God chose the Jews and made them his people. But the Jews broke the relationship of God's people by killing the Son of God. Instead of the Jews who failed to be God's people, God now says that anyone who believes in Jesus will be his children. It has been confirmed through the failure of the Jews that the law and the deeds of men cannot make one to be the people of God, so God accepts through faith not as the people of God, but as the family of God. The cross is the power of God that makes the dead live again.
Therefore, the cross reveals the glory of God. Verse 23 says, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." Verse 28 says, “Father, glorify your name.” Therefore, the cross is God's way of saving human beings from sin, and the glory of God has appeared.
He now calls you to follow the way of the cross, the way of God’s glory. Verse 25-26 says, “The one who loves his life destroys it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards it for eternal life. If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow me, and where I am, my servant will be too. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”
Jesus now sends you into the midst of a world of vile and depravity. How can you persuade them? Let them realize their guilt through your sacrifice, not through argument or judgment. Even though they hurt you, by embracing them, they will know the love God.
The cross revealed their sins and their folly, and at the same time showed God’s compassion of forgiving the sinners who killed God’s son. That is why any sinner can have confidence to come before the cross. What an amazing wisdom and power of God!
Lord, I love the way you loved me, the cross.
"Unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it will remain itself alone. But if it dies, it produces much fruit.”