1 00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:04,700 No, among those who went up to worship at the feast were some 2 00:00:04,700 --> 00:00:07,900 Greeks. So these came to Philip who was 3 00:00:07,900 --> 00:00:11,200 from bethsaida in Galilee and asked him, sir. 4 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:14,900 We wish to see. Jesus Philip went and told 5 00:00:14,900 --> 00:00:20,600 Andrew Andrew, and Philip went and told Jesus and Jesus 6 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:24,100 answered them. The hour has come for the son of 7 00:00:24,100 --> 00:00:27,500 man to be glorified truly. Truly. 8 00:00:27,500 --> 00:00:29,800 I say to you unless a grain of wheat. 9 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:33,700 It falls into the Earth and dies, it remains alone. 10 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:39,800 But if it dies it Bears, much fruit, whoever loves his life 11 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:44,000 loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it 12 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:48,100 for eternal life. If anyone serves me, you must 13 00:00:48,100 --> 00:00:54,100 follow me and where I am, there will my servant be also, if 14 00:00:54,100 --> 00:00:58,700 anyone serves me, the father will honor him. 15 00:00:59,500 --> 00:01:03,200 This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. 16 00:01:08,900 --> 00:01:10,800 Good morning church. It's great to be with you. 17 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:12,700 This morning. We have a met. 18 00:01:12,700 --> 00:01:16,400 My name is Austin for the pastor's here at RC B. 19 00:01:16,700 --> 00:01:20,100 And I get to continue our sermon series this morning that we're 20 00:01:20,100 --> 00:01:24,700 calling seek first, where we're looking at the life of Jesus. 21 00:01:24,700 --> 00:01:29,100 And the way that he engages with different people, engages people 22 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:32,400 in ways that that increases their hunger for God or people 23 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:35,900 who are spiritually, hungry, hungry for more. 24 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:40,000 And so we're in our passage this morning that Just heard read in 25 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:44,600 John 12 and just to set the scene a little bit more for you 26 00:01:44,900 --> 00:01:47,700 to build a context here. John 12 is kind of this pivot 27 00:01:47,700 --> 00:01:52,400 point in the Gospel of John. So there's been there's 21 28 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:56,000 chapters in Jan the first 12 or kind of Jesus public Ministry. 29 00:01:56,500 --> 00:02:00,500 Some things happen in 12 that actually close the door on Jesus 30 00:02:00,500 --> 00:02:04,700 public life. And from 13 on, it's more of a 31 00:02:04,708 --> 00:02:08,000 private Ministry to the disciples to his Apostles and 32 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,500 the his A fiction and resurrection. 33 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:15,200 And so this is the end of his public life in chapter 12, and 34 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,500 what just happened in has kind of spurred that a little bit and 35 00:02:18,500 --> 00:02:22,400 check her 11 heroes. Are he raised Lazarus from the 36 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:24,500 dead? Now, it's not something right 37 00:02:24,500 --> 00:02:27,900 that, that happens every day. And so doing this raising 38 00:02:27,900 --> 00:02:31,800 Lazarus from the dead creates. This, this stir amongst the 39 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:36,400 people in the area, like Lazarus was in Bethany, which is just 40 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,800 outside of Jerusalem. And so there's this big Stir and 41 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:42,900 people are coming and like bearing witness to what Jesus 42 00:02:42,900 --> 00:02:46,300 did and wanting to learn more. And so there's this huge 43 00:02:46,500 --> 00:02:50,200 palpable like expectation and anticipation of of what's going 44 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:53,600 to happen at the Passover. What's going to happen who this 45 00:02:53,900 --> 00:02:57,800 Jesus fellow is? And there's also the Pharisees 46 00:02:57,900 --> 00:03:01,000 who don't quite have the same anticipation, right? 47 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:03,600 They're not actually anticipating, man. 48 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:06,300 What could God possibly be doing here? 49 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:08,500 But instead they're more worried. 50 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:13,000 Got their own place, their own power, their own standing, and 51 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:16,900 it says in chapter 11 in John chapter 11 verse 48, the 52 00:03:16,900 --> 00:03:18,700 Pharisees. They're talking about Jesus and 53 00:03:18,700 --> 00:03:22,800 they say, if we let him go on like this, everyone will believe 54 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:27,600 in him and the Romans will come and take away our place and our 55 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,000 nation. Worried about holding on to 56 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:36,200 their place, and their nation. And so we see Jesus. 57 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:40,500 He continues into Jerusalem, chapter 12, begins with the 58 00:03:40,500 --> 00:03:45,600 triumphal entry, kind of Palm Sunday idea where he comes in. 59 00:03:45,700 --> 00:03:48,400 People are excited. Wondering what's going to happen 60 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,500 and we get down. There's a palpable Buzz, right? 61 00:03:51,500 --> 00:03:54,400 Is this the Messiah as this one is going to free us from the 62 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:56,600 power of Rome. Is he the one who's going to 63 00:03:56,608 --> 00:03:59,600 restore Israel to its former glory? 64 00:03:59,700 --> 00:04:03,700 Three and the Pharisees. They continue to deepen, Their 65 00:04:03,700 --> 00:04:07,500 Fear 12:19 right before our passages morning, which begins 66 00:04:07,500 --> 00:04:10,700 in verse 20. The Pharisee say, look, the 67 00:04:10,700 --> 00:04:14,500 world has gone after him the world. 68 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:17,700 It's kind of after it feels to them. 69 00:04:17,700 --> 00:04:22,100 Like they just are losing their grip, losing their ability to 70 00:04:22,100 --> 00:04:25,000 lead to have power in there. Seeing that Jesus has real 71 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,300 power. Even to raise the dead and that 72 00:04:28,300 --> 00:04:31,700 people are flocking to him. And so they resolved to take 73 00:04:31,700 --> 00:04:35,700 Swift action at this point. So it's kind of a big turning 74 00:04:35,700 --> 00:04:39,100 point in the story. So as we come to to chapter 12 75 00:04:39,100 --> 00:04:43,000 verses 20 through 26, this morning, this is what's going 76 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:44,100 on. This is kind of the the 77 00:04:44,100 --> 00:04:47,800 circumstance that Jesus finds himself in the middle of and 78 00:04:47,808 --> 00:04:52,200 then we have the scene of these non-jewish visitors. 79 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:57,600 You've come to Jerusalem for the Passover 3 verse 20 with me. 80 00:04:57,900 --> 00:05:02,500 So is now among those who went up to worship at the feast were 81 00:05:02,500 --> 00:05:04,600 some Greeks. Awesome. 82 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:08,800 I might seem to you like a passing detail because actually 83 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:13,000 really critical here. They come to the feast to 84 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,100 worship. So these Greeks they're not just 85 00:05:16,300 --> 00:05:18,600 religious tourist, right? They're not just coming in. 86 00:05:18,900 --> 00:05:21,800 They want to observe kind of some cultural religious 87 00:05:22,300 --> 00:05:25,600 experience that that is in this kind of foreign and exotic 88 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:28,300 Place. Know they come to Jerusalem 89 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:33,700 during the Passover to worship if you come to worship during 90 00:05:33,700 --> 00:05:36,400 the /, you're coming to worship. Yahweh. 91 00:05:37,100 --> 00:05:40,400 Coming to worship the god of Israel coming to worship. 92 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:45,800 The one that Jesus calls father. And so they're here for the 93 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:49,500 feast, they're serious enough to make the trick. 94 00:05:49,900 --> 00:05:52,200 So it shows they have this real spiritual hunger, right? 95 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:55,400 They have this real longing to know God. 96 00:05:55,700 --> 00:05:58,200 They've certainly been a part of the Greco. 97 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:02,100 Roman Pantheon of gods. They've heard the stories, the 98 00:06:02,100 --> 00:06:06,600 myths, the know, the deities of their time and they said, no, 99 00:06:06,700 --> 00:06:09,600 no, this isn't enough. We're looking for more. 100 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,500 And so they come, they they're they're seeking after the things 101 00:06:13,500 --> 00:06:16,100 of God. At least some actually to seek 102 00:06:16,100 --> 00:06:18,800 Jesus. They want to know more about 103 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:22,400 this Jesus guy. See if this is what they're 104 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:25,800 longing for. So, it's important that is 105 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:28,700 Passover. This is kind of the Super Bowl 106 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:32,500 of Jewish holidays. It's kind of like the Easter 107 00:06:32,700 --> 00:06:35,400 kind of users, Super Bowl of Christian holidays. 108 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:40,100 The, the Passover is, is the big, the big one for the Jewish 109 00:06:40,100 --> 00:06:43,000 faith. And so it marks this time. 110 00:06:43,500 --> 00:06:48,200 I marks the story of God, rescuing his people out of 111 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:52,900 slavery in Egypt and there's this reenactment of the Passover 112 00:06:52,900 --> 00:06:56,400 Lamb being. Slain in the blood, saving the 113 00:06:56,400 --> 00:07:00,800 people of God from death and liberating them out of slavery 114 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:05,200 and bondage and so it's no accident that and this is, this 115 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:07,700 is another summer for another day, but it's no accident. 116 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:13,600 That Jesus is crucified during Passover because he is the Lamb 117 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:18,000 of God, whose blood saves the people of God and liberates them 118 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:20,700 from their slavery, from their bondage. 119 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:24,700 And so the story, right? Like this, This is this is no 120 00:07:24,700 --> 00:07:27,500 accident, but that that's a story for another day. 121 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:30,900 But all this to say Passover, the Greeks were there. 122 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,700 They want to see Jesus so they come. 123 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,300 They come to the disciples and say, in verse 21. 124 00:07:37,300 --> 00:07:42,300 They say we want to see Jesus. So they're making, they're 125 00:07:42,300 --> 00:07:44,800 making the request know, right? That's always a good thing. 126 00:07:44,900 --> 00:07:48,200 Let your requests be made known to God. 127 00:07:48,300 --> 00:07:49,800 And so they come to the disciples. 128 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,500 They say, we want to see Jesus and it's interesting enough that 129 00:07:54,100 --> 00:07:57,800 Get caught up in this kind of religious red tape, like the 130 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:00,600 come to Philip and Philip doesn't really know what to do. 131 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:03,900 So Phillip thing goes to Andrew Andrews, kind of Crisis 132 00:08:03,900 --> 00:08:05,500 management guy, right? He's like, what do we do? 133 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:06,900 There's Greeks who want to see Jesus. 134 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:09,900 Andrew doesn't actually have an answer for him. 135 00:08:09,900 --> 00:08:12,300 Surprisingly, and she was like, well, why don't we go? 136 00:08:12,300 --> 00:08:12,900 Ask? Jesus? 137 00:08:12,900 --> 00:08:15,600 I don't know what to do. And you might be thinking, like, 138 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,600 this seems kind of weird, right? Like, somebody wants to see 139 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:21,800 Jesus. They should just be able to see 140 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:24,400 Jesus, right? Like, it shouldn't be That big 141 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,500 of a deal. Because remember in the time and 142 00:08:27,500 --> 00:08:31,600 the context, right? These are, these are Jewish men 143 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:36,200 and so they have no framework for Gentiles being brought into 144 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:39,000 like the inner ring of the things of God. 145 00:08:39,500 --> 00:08:42,600 So even even at the Passover right when people are coming 146 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:46,700 into the temple to worship Gentiles, can't go but so far 147 00:08:46,700 --> 00:08:50,800 there's a wall that separates them being will enter in deeper 148 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:53,900 into the presence of God. And so there's kind of this. 149 00:08:54,100 --> 00:08:55,900 There's still this natural barrier, right? 150 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:57,900 Because they're Greek because they're not Jewish. 151 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:03,000 They're not part of Israel, right? 152 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,200 They're not a part. They're not have access to these 153 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:07,900 things and so disciples still don't get that. 154 00:09:08,500 --> 00:09:10,700 Now. Jesus has been talking about 155 00:09:10,700 --> 00:09:13,000 that. It's not that they shouldn't 156 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:15,500 understand it. Jesus has been talking about 157 00:09:15,500 --> 00:09:18,600 this but we know not only did not get it here. 158 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:22,200 If you look in the book of Acts, like the first half of the book 159 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:26,200 is the apostles struggling with this question of like what do we 160 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:31,600 do with Gentiles who believed in the In Jesus, as the Messiah, we 161 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:34,700 see that over and over again. The first half of Acts, they're 162 00:09:34,700 --> 00:09:38,700 still struggling and wrestling with what to do with Gentiles. 163 00:09:39,300 --> 00:09:41,600 And so it's not shocking. I guess that they don't get a 164 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:44,400 here but, but Jesus has already talked about, he's made it 165 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:47,900 clear. If you look at John 10 verse 16. 166 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:50,100 Jesus is talking about the Gentiles. 167 00:09:50,100 --> 00:09:54,200 He says, I have other sheep that are not of this fold, not of the 168 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:57,500 fold of Israel. I must bring them also, and they 169 00:09:57,500 --> 00:10:01,000 will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock and 170 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:05,100 one Shepherd. The Gentiles are the sheep that 171 00:10:05,100 --> 00:10:08,300 are not of this fold. Sheets are not of the full of 172 00:10:08,300 --> 00:10:10,800 Israel. But Jesus is making it clear. 173 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:15,400 He's been making it clear that there's going to be one family, 174 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:21,600 one fold, once flock of God underneath his lordship and 175 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:24,000 place of to, they're going to become one. 176 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:26,700 And so there's no longer going to be jew and Gentile will be 177 00:10:26,700 --> 00:10:32,000 one under his rule. I think the vision ethnic 178 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:34,600 division. To be done away with forever. 179 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:39,200 Ushering in the fullness of God's multi-ethnic vision. 180 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:43,200 The Apostle Paul is actually one of the first of Jesus's 181 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:47,500 followers to get this concept in like total Clarity of you. 182 00:10:47,500 --> 00:10:51,400 Look at Ephesians 2, which I would submit to you is perhaps 183 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:57,000 the best explanation of the Gospel that there is he talks 184 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,100 about that. There's a vertical and 185 00:10:59,300 --> 00:11:03,600 horizontal nature of what Jesus is accomplished on the cross. 186 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:07,700 The Salvation is both vertical and horizontal and verses 1 187 00:11:07,700 --> 00:11:10,700 through 10. He talks about Jesus has Honest 188 00:11:10,700 --> 00:11:15,600 to God by the cross and then in verses 11, through 20 to talks 189 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:19,700 about how Jesus has reconciled us to one another, by the cross. 190 00:11:20,300 --> 00:11:23,000 There's no way to have vertical without horizontal. 191 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:27,900 The two go hand-in-hand and so well, let's read Ephesians 2:13 192 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:34,500 through 16. But now in Christ Jesus, you who 193 00:11:34,500 --> 00:11:38,200 wants were far off have been brought near by the blood of 194 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:41,500 Christ for he himself is our peace. 195 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:46,600 Who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh. 196 00:11:46,900 --> 00:11:50,800 The dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of 197 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:54,600 Commandments expressed in ordinances that he might create 198 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:58,400 in himself one new man in place of the two. 199 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:04,000 So making peace. Am I reconcile us both to God in 200 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:08,400 one body through the cross there by killing the hostility. 201 00:12:09,900 --> 00:12:13,700 The gospel of Christ. It brings reconciliation between 202 00:12:13,700 --> 00:12:17,900 God and humanity and Humanity, within itself. 203 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:22,700 The visions and hostilities between ethnic groups are done 204 00:12:22,700 --> 00:12:26,900 away with at the cross. They're brought into one new 205 00:12:26,900 --> 00:12:31,100 body in place of 2. And this is why if you read the 206 00:12:31,108 --> 00:12:34,500 New Testament, you see that the churches that are being planted 207 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:39,200 are all multi-ethnic. They don't make the decision to 208 00:12:40,100 --> 00:12:43,400 Kind of the idea of the homogeneous unit principle of, 209 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:46,600 we're going to plant a Jewish church or your plant agreed 210 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:50,500 church, right? They plant all the entrance of 211 00:12:50,500 --> 00:12:53,300 this messiness, right? The messiness of mixing 212 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:57,800 ethnicities mixing races and they plant churches that reflect 213 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:00,500 the work of the Cross. They can has reconciled into one 214 00:13:00,500 --> 00:13:05,700 body all people. Pastor Brian the Ritz he in his 215 00:13:05,700 --> 00:13:08,900 book insider-outsider. He describes it like this. 216 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:13,200 So, as with conversions happening rapidly among both 217 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:16,900 groups, Paul does not go to the pragmatic route, starting to 218 00:13:16,900 --> 00:13:19,500 churches for the two, distinct ethnicities. 219 00:13:20,100 --> 00:13:23,000 This would have been the easy thing to do of course, but Paul 220 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:25,500 would have none of it. So Paul the vertical 221 00:13:25,500 --> 00:13:29,500 reconciliation required, nothing less than horizontal 222 00:13:29,500 --> 00:13:32,600 reconciliation. And the theater in which this 223 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:36,000 was to be enacted was the local church. 224 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:41,800 This is what Philip and Andrew. This is what the apostles in the 225 00:13:41,800 --> 00:13:46,500 beginning of axes, but they've yet to comprehend that God has 226 00:13:46,500 --> 00:13:50,900 reconciled all people to himself through the cross. 227 00:13:51,300 --> 00:13:55,300 That Jesus has torn down the dividing wall of hostility 228 00:13:55,500 --> 00:14:00,700 between Jew and Gentile. So, these Greeks who show up at 229 00:14:00,700 --> 00:14:04,200 Passover? They couldn't get past the wall 230 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:07,700 because there was like a literal wall in the temple that the 231 00:14:07,700 --> 00:14:12,500 Gentiles couldn't go beyond and Jesus actually is going to tear 232 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:15,800 down that wall. There's no I'm going to be 233 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:18,300 insiders and Outsiders to the things of God. 234 00:14:18,300 --> 00:14:21,900 So now we're going to be Haves and Have Nots but everyone wants 235 00:14:21,900 --> 00:14:25,700 access to God equally through the blood of Christ. 236 00:14:26,100 --> 00:14:28,900 He rips the veil and when he tears down the wall. 237 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:33,800 The presence of God is now mediated and made available to 238 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:36,300 all. There's no distinctions. 239 00:14:38,500 --> 00:14:41,500 They're no longer this JV experience that the Gentiles are 240 00:14:41,500 --> 00:14:44,700 allowed. The Gentiles have full access. 241 00:14:45,100 --> 00:14:46,400 And and this is my new mental Ray. 242 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:50,200 You can't understate. This point, this moment that 243 00:14:50,500 --> 00:14:54,500 that there is no more Jew and no more Gentile, the taller one. 244 00:14:55,100 --> 00:14:59,100 It's the subsequent creation of one flock, one body, One Church, 245 00:14:59,100 --> 00:15:01,900 one family, and the place over there. 246 00:15:01,900 --> 00:15:05,500 Have been two Pastor Tony Evans. He explains it like this. 247 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaking of Jesus. He says, he has reconciled. 248 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:13,700 Racially divided groups into one new man, uniting them into a new 249 00:15:13,700 --> 00:15:16,900 body so that the church can function in unity. 250 00:15:17,700 --> 00:15:21,300 The church is the place where racial gender and class 251 00:15:21,300 --> 00:15:25,900 distinctions are no longer to be divisive because of our unity in 252 00:15:25,900 --> 00:15:29,500 Christ. This is not negate differences 253 00:15:29,500 --> 00:15:32,800 that remain intact one. This simply means that those 254 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:37,100 differences are embraced joining our unique strengths together. 255 00:15:37,100 --> 00:15:39,900 We have strength, the strength, With making a more complete and 256 00:15:39,900 --> 00:15:44,200 balanced whole based on our mutual relationship with and 257 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:50,500 commitment to Christ. The arrival of these Greeks 258 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:54,200 seeking Jesus. It marks the dawn of a new era 259 00:15:54,700 --> 00:15:58,400 in the people of God, for the people of God, and Jesus. 260 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:03,600 He recognizes the moment as such when the news comes to him with 261 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:05,900 Philip and Andrew. Bring him the news. 262 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:08,100 He responds, there's this cattle. 263 00:16:08,300 --> 00:16:11,000 It responds, the trigger something deep within them and 264 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:16,200 he says that the hour has come with me verse 23. 265 00:16:16,300 --> 00:16:21,200 Jesus says the hour has come for the son of man to be glorified. 266 00:16:22,300 --> 00:16:25,900 Alas, this hour has come all throughout the Gospel of John. 267 00:16:25,900 --> 00:16:29,000 You're going to see Jesus saying the hour is not yet. 268 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:33,800 Come it is not yet my our it's not my our both the arrival of 269 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,700 these Greeks Suddenly It's the hour. 270 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:41,200 The hour has arrived. What are you talking about? 271 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:43,000 What is this? What is this hour? 272 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:47,400 And why are these? Why do these couple of Greeks 273 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:49,600 looking for a meeting? Why is that such a big deal? 274 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:53,000 Well, the hour of his glorification, Here is is 275 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:58,400 actually our of his death. As through his death right that 276 00:16:58,700 --> 00:17:03,900 that the walls torn down at the veil is open and sees Greeks 277 00:17:03,900 --> 00:17:07,700 it's more than just these couple of guys come in to see Jesus. 278 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:13,099 This is the arrival of the nations of the earth seeking the 279 00:17:13,099 --> 00:17:17,900 salvation of God, the arrival of the nation's looking for the 280 00:17:17,900 --> 00:17:21,700 Salvation of God is the sheep from the other full, right 281 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:26,400 coming and wanting to be a part of God's family, so it's time. 282 00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:31,500 Time to bring the two folds into one to bring the two families 283 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:34,200 into one. And we learned that this can't 284 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:39,400 happen without the cross. As you keep reading here in to 285 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:42,500 verse 24, you might initially think like, us doesn't really 286 00:17:42,500 --> 00:17:45,200 seem like he's answering the question. 287 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:48,000 It kind of seems like he's just talking about something else all 288 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,800 of a sudden, but if you look at it, closely will see that he's 289 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:54,800 responding not necessarily to those particular Greeks 290 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:59,900 themselves, but to what they represent, he's speaking to the 291 00:17:59,900 --> 00:18:03,600 world to the nations of the earth that they represent read 292 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:04,500 verse twenty. Fourth me. 293 00:18:04,500 --> 00:18:07,100 He says Jesus says, unless a grain of wheat. 294 00:18:07,700 --> 00:18:11,400 Falls into the Earth and dies, it remains alone. 295 00:18:12,300 --> 00:18:16,300 But if it dies it Bears much fruit. 296 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:24,000 Jesus talking about himself. He says if you want to see me if 297 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:26,900 you want to understand who I really am. 298 00:18:28,100 --> 00:18:33,800 I am the one who will die. So the fruit of the of life will 299 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:39,300 Sprout for all nations. I must die so that life can 300 00:18:39,300 --> 00:18:44,400 Sprout for you. For you know, you particular 301 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:47,900 Greeks or asking this question before, the nation's, the 302 00:18:47,900 --> 00:18:52,500 people's the Gentiles which you represent to see me. 303 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:56,300 I must die. I must endure the cross. 304 00:18:57,100 --> 00:18:59,700 And I'm willing to do it. I'm going to do it. 305 00:18:59,700 --> 00:19:03,400 The hour has arrived, and I'm not going to escape it. 306 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:06,800 I'm going to be obedient to this hour of death. 307 00:19:08,300 --> 00:19:12,400 And Jesus confirms this later on in chapter 12, down to verse 32, 308 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:17,400 where he says, and I, when I am lifted up from the earth will 309 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:23,900 draw all people to myself. When Jesus is lifted up from the 310 00:19:23,900 --> 00:19:27,400 earth, when he's lifted up upon that cross later, that week, the 311 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:30,600 cross will become the magnet to which the nations of the Earth 312 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:35,800 are drawn. The magnet that the peoples of 313 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:40,600 the Earth are drawn to his death will multiply life for the 314 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:43,500 world. And this shouldn't come as a 315 00:19:43,508 --> 00:19:46,000 surprise, right? We looked at John 10 where he 316 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:49,300 talks about bringing sheep from other fold, but if you look 317 00:19:49,300 --> 00:19:51,900 through the whole story of the Bible where I got has been 318 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:56,500 hinting not so subtly like he's been hinting very clearly at 319 00:19:56,500 --> 00:20:00,300 this the whole time. I think about Genesis 12, God 320 00:20:00,300 --> 00:20:02,500 tells Abraham like through your Offspring. 321 00:20:03,100 --> 00:20:07,300 All the nations of the Earth are going to be the last Jump to 322 00:20:07,300 --> 00:20:11,400 some of mica for where he says that that many nations are going 323 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:16,100 to come to the mountain of the Lord Desiring to be taught God's 324 00:20:16,100 --> 00:20:19,000 ways. These Greeks are coming to the 325 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:21,700 mouth of the Lord Jerusalem. The find a mountain, right? 326 00:20:21,700 --> 00:20:24,400 The Temple Mount. These Greeks are coming. 327 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:26,900 The nations are coming to the mountain of the Lord, to be 328 00:20:26,900 --> 00:20:30,300 taught the ways of God. It's all through the book of 329 00:20:30,300 --> 00:20:33,400 Isaiah. One example for chapter. 49. 330 00:20:33,700 --> 00:20:38,100 God says, it's too small of a thing to bring back for his 331 00:20:38,100 --> 00:20:41,100 Messiah to restore just the house of Israel. 332 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:44,600 But that his Messiah will be a light to the nation's. 333 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:48,800 So the his salvation will reach the ends of the Earth. 334 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:52,600 And if you want to look ahead, you know, we got Revelations 7, 335 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:56,400 where we see this Future Vision of the kingdom of God, and its 336 00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:59,100 fullness. And you see this, this 337 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:04,500 innumerable multitude of people from every tribe and nation, and 338 00:21:04,500 --> 00:21:08,300 language Gathering Before the Throne of God and worshiping. 339 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:14,400 This is what guys been about. He's been at working to bring 340 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:18,900 all peoples, All Nations people from any everywhere. 341 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,400 Into his family. Belonging at this table. 342 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:26,200 It's part of the one flock worshipping him. 343 00:21:27,300 --> 00:21:31,200 This has been the plan all along to have this Rich multi-ethnic 344 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:35,000 Global Harvest of people as a part of his family. 345 00:21:35,900 --> 00:21:39,100 And Jesus is the grain of wheat, which has to fall to the Earth 346 00:21:39,100 --> 00:21:44,500 and die in order that the fruit of those seeds would bear life 347 00:21:44,500 --> 00:21:48,900 for the Nations. But those who did not and do not 348 00:21:48,900 --> 00:21:52,000 know, God would have the ability to know him. 349 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,600 We have the access to his presence. 350 00:21:56,900 --> 00:21:58,400 One commentator. He puts it like this. 351 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:02,700 He says, just as the fruit cannot come into existence 352 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:07,900 without the death of the seed. So also must be unique, son died 353 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:11,300 for the children of God to come into existence. 354 00:22:12,900 --> 00:22:16,500 The Cross of Christ is the foundational element of the 355 00:22:16,500 --> 00:22:20,600 Gospel, is through the cross, through the blood of Jesus. 356 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:26,200 That all people are brought into his family that the wall is torn 357 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:28,900 down. The veil is torn net. 358 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:33,400 We all have access to the presence of God, to the things 359 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:37,500 of God, that we all can see and know like the Greeks wanted. 360 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:42,000 We can all see Jesus for who he really is. 361 00:22:42,800 --> 00:22:45,100 And this is a glorious thing that God has done. 362 00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:49,800 He has ransomed from all tribes and peoples from the ends of the 363 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:54,600 Earth people to worship Him people to belong at his table. 364 00:22:55,700 --> 00:22:59,100 And for those of us who do know him text goes on to tell us that 365 00:22:59,100 --> 00:23:03,000 we have a crucial part in advancing that mission and 366 00:23:03,008 --> 00:23:07,900 continuing that work of Christ. Although Jesus is referring to 367 00:23:07,900 --> 00:23:09,700 himself here as the grain of wheat. 368 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:13,500 He, its application isn't just to him. 369 00:23:13,500 --> 00:23:15,800 It applies to his followers as well. 370 00:23:16,700 --> 00:23:20,700 As in the way of following Jesus is through death. 371 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:25,000 That life comes to life is Multiplied. 372 00:23:25,700 --> 00:23:29,200 It's not just an agricultural concept, but it's the way of 373 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:34,300 discipleship for his followers. And he continues to call his 374 00:23:34,300 --> 00:23:37,400 followers to count the cost of discipleship, the count, the 375 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:40,500 cost of following him and 25 and 26. 376 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:45,400 He says whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his 377 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:48,800 life in the world will keep it for eternal life. 378 00:23:49,700 --> 00:23:54,000 If anyone serves me, you must follow me and where I am, there 379 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:58,400 were my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the father 380 00:23:58,700 --> 00:24:02,600 will honor him. Jesus and saying that we earn 381 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:05,200 our Salvation this way. But he's saying that this is the 382 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:10,000 necessary outworking of those who follow him with those for 383 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:13,300 whom he is died. Is it called? 384 00:24:13,300 --> 00:24:17,400 We must take on, call it the self-denial called a certified? 385 00:24:18,500 --> 00:24:21,300 I called to emulate. Jesus by dying to self and 386 00:24:21,300 --> 00:24:26,500 living for the things of God. It's important to recognize that 387 00:24:26,500 --> 00:24:29,900 it is the it's also that second part of living to the things of 388 00:24:29,900 --> 00:24:32,000 God. It's not just denial and 389 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:35,700 emptying yourself for the sake of just emptying yourself, but 390 00:24:35,700 --> 00:24:39,900 it's dying so that you might live to the ways of God. 391 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:44,100 It's called to a rightly ordered life that is driven first and 392 00:24:44,100 --> 00:24:51,200 foremost by the love of God. Just put another way in Luke 393 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:55,500 9:23 where he says whoever wants to be my disciple must deny 394 00:24:55,500 --> 00:24:58,400 themselves. Take up their cross daily and 395 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:02,900 follow me. The call to emptying and filling 396 00:25:02,900 --> 00:25:07,700 called to denial and except that's a call to death and life 397 00:25:08,300 --> 00:25:12,100 death to the ways of the world deaths of the desires of the 398 00:25:12,100 --> 00:25:16,200 flesh by the life, for the sake of the Kingdom Life. 399 00:25:16,300 --> 00:25:20,500 So that others might know and see Jesus for who he truly is. 400 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:25,900 Following Jesus is the greatest thing that you can ever do. 401 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:30,200 But the same time, it's going to be the hardest thing that you 402 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:33,600 can do. It's comes with a cost. 403 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:37,100 But it also comes with a great reward. 404 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:43,200 If you notice in this text every call to decrease is paired with 405 00:25:43,700 --> 00:25:49,400 an increase, a promised increase, the death and decrease 406 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:54,200 of the seed, brings a promise increase of fruits, the decrease 407 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:57,900 of hitting life in this world, not loving life and were then we 408 00:25:57,900 --> 00:26:02,200 love God is paired with the promise of life eternal. 409 00:26:03,300 --> 00:26:07,200 The the decrease of service and following it brings a promise of 410 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:13,000 God being with Christ where I am, you will be also and of 411 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:18,200 Honor from God, from worldly Americanized standards. 412 00:26:18,200 --> 00:26:19,700 This this equation doesn't make sense. 413 00:26:19,700 --> 00:26:22,700 This isn't an equation for you. Which shoes? 414 00:26:23,900 --> 00:26:28,300 It's an odd strategy. But the more we decrease, the 415 00:26:28,300 --> 00:26:32,400 more downward displacement. We allow the greater the 416 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:36,500 increase of Life, the greater the abundance and multiplication 417 00:26:36,500 --> 00:26:40,900 of fruit for the kingdom of God. Laying down. 418 00:26:40,900 --> 00:26:45,500 Our lives is being on mission for Christ. 419 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:49,000 It's a call to Mission. It advances, the mission of God 420 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,800 for people who don't know him to know him. 421 00:26:52,900 --> 00:26:55,300 It helps bring those who don't know him and says, one big 422 00:26:55,300 --> 00:26:58,400 family. So the question a question for 423 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:04,100 you this morning to reflect on, is how can you live in the way 424 00:27:04,100 --> 00:27:08,600 of Jesus for the sake of those who don't know, God? 425 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:14,600 And what might Jesus want to rearrange in your life so that 426 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:18,000 others can see and know him through you. 427 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:24,100 What might you want to rearrange and Jesus didn't withhold his 428 00:27:24,100 --> 00:27:27,600 own life? So that we who did not know, God 429 00:27:27,700 --> 00:27:33,200 might be able to see him and be a part of his one family and he 430 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:36,300 invites us into the same Mission along with him. 431 00:27:36,500 --> 00:27:41,000 He wants us to live our lives for the sake of others, knowing 432 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,500 him finding belonging at his table. 433 00:27:46,100 --> 00:27:50,800 How far are we willing to go to see the fruit of the Cross 434 00:27:50,900 --> 00:27:54,500 multiplied? Is there anything? 435 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:57,200 Is there any limits to your obedience? 436 00:28:00,700 --> 00:28:03,700 The Greeks of the Passover, they wanted to see Jesus and Jesus 437 00:28:03,700 --> 00:28:06,800 show some incidentally more than they could have imagined. 438 00:28:07,900 --> 00:28:10,800 She doesn't that anyone from anywhere can be a part of God's 439 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:13,200 family. There's no more insiders and 440 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:15,600 Outsiders. And for those of us who've 441 00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:20,200 experienced this belonging, our calls to live cruciform lives to 442 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:24,500 live cross-shaped. Lives the show, everyone, the 443 00:28:24,500 --> 00:28:28,000 glory of Jesus and the reconciling work that he has 444 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:32,600 done through the cross. We've been given a place that 445 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:35,700 God. It's one big table by the 446 00:28:35,700 --> 00:28:38,000 sacrifice of Christ by the cross. 447 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:42,900 And for calling man, is I prayers that we would be a 448 00:28:42,900 --> 00:28:46,100 people. We would be a people who live in 449 00:28:46,100 --> 00:28:49,400 to Jesus example, by laying down our lives. 450 00:28:49,500 --> 00:28:53,500 So that others might come to find that they belong in his 451 00:28:53,500 --> 00:28:56,100 family as well. Amen. 452 00:28:56,700 --> 00:28:58,100 Amen. Let's pray. 453 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:05,500 Larry, thank you. Thank you for your cross. 454 00:29:05,500 --> 00:29:10,400 We thank you that when you're our came, or did you didn't, you 455 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:16,300 didn't run or, but she willingly Submitted yourself to the will 456 00:29:16,300 --> 00:29:18,800 of the father that you willingly laid down your life. 457 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:23,400 So that we might live. Thank you that you have torn 458 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:27,100 down the Dividing Walls. That divide the things that 459 00:29:27,100 --> 00:29:29,600 divide the things that provoke hostility learned that you have, 460 00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:35,700 put those to rest at your cross. And are we pray that you would 461 00:29:35,700 --> 00:29:39,900 Empower us to live in this in this way? 462 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:45,400 On mission for you laying down our lives, for your sake. 463 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:49,400 And for the sake of others, we pray this in Jesus name. 464 00:29:50,100 --> 00:29:51,800 Amen. Amen. 465 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:59,500 So encourage you, as we do each and every week to participate in 466 00:29:59,500 --> 00:30:02,900 communion and, and whatever way, that's possible for you. 467 00:30:02,900 --> 00:30:07,600 And so, we remember the work of Jesus thinks that he is, he's 468 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:11,900 done his death on the cross that he has reconciled us into one 469 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:16,600 family, the receded around one table, that there's one body of 470 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:18,700 Christ. And communion, is this time 471 00:30:18,700 --> 00:30:22,600 where we think about what will happen in the new creation that 472 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:25,500 there's going to be this? This Kingdom Feast this great 473 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,700 Wedding, Banquet of Christ. We're going to Feast with one 474 00:30:28,700 --> 00:30:33,300 another and fullness. And so, we celebrate that and 475 00:30:33,300 --> 00:30:36,500 anticipate that now, when we, when we partake in the Lord's 476 00:30:36,500 --> 00:30:41,800 supper together, and we remember that his, that the bread is his 477 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:47,200 body broken for us, and that the wine is his blood shed for us. 478 00:30:48,900 --> 00:30:54,300 So as your sent out on mission for Christ this week, I hear 479 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:58,900 these words as a benediction sending you out into the world. 480 00:31:00,300 --> 00:31:04,900 May the god of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you 481 00:31:04,900 --> 00:31:08,400 trust in him. So that you may overflow with 482 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:11,300 hope by the power of the holy spirit. 483 00:31:12,300 --> 00:31:14,000 Amen. Go in. 484 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:14,600 Peace.