Sermon John 12:20-36 – It Is Time To Be Glorified

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon John 12:20-36 – It Is Time To Be Glorified

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

March 12, 2017

            This morning I am continuing with my series of sermons drawn from the Gospel of John.  These texts are traditionally read by the church during Holy Week as we move from Palm Sunday, to the Last Supper, to Good Friday and finally to the glorious events on Easter morning.   But I have chosen to bring these texts to you for Lent so that we may look at them in more detail and use this period as a way of preparing yourselves for the coming of Holy Week. 

            Last week we joined with Martha, Lazarus, Mary and Judas as they hosted Jesus at their home for dinner a week before the beginning of Passover.  We watched as Mary tenderly anointed Jesus’ body with expensive perfume.  And with the warrant out for Jesus’ arrest we heard him interpret Mary’s actions as a preparation for his death.  This infuriated Judas who expected that Jesus would be anointed as king, and caused him to lose his faith in Jesus.

            This story was followed in John by Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.  Talk about donkeys and palm branches will occur in a few weeks when we get to Palm Sunday.  But today we will look at what happened after Jesus entered the city.  As soon as Jesus arrived in Jerusalem two gentiles, non-Jewish God Fearers, who had come to worship God at the Passover festival, approached one of Jesus’ disciples, Phillip, for help in meeting Jesus.  This triggered an extraordinary series of events as Jesus realized that his hour had come.  So what was it about this visit of a couple of foreigners that convinced Jesus that his glorification was near?  Before we get to this question please pray with me.  “Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

John 12:20-36   ²⁰ Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast.  ²¹ They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus."  ²² Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.  ²³ Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  ²⁴ I tell you the truth, 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.  ²⁵ The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  ²⁶ Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.  ²⁷ "Now my heart 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.  ²⁸ Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."  ²⁹ The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.  ³⁰ Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine.  ³¹ Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.  ³² But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."  ³³ He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.  ³⁴ The crowd spoke up, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ will remain forever, so how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this 'Son of Man'?"  ³⁵ Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going.  ³⁶ Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

            Jesus realized that his hour had come when he was told by Phillip and Andrew that some Gentiles had come to see him.  Early in his ministry when Jesus’ mother suggested that he do something when the wine ran out at a wedding, Jesus told her that his time had not yet come.  And later after arguments with the Pharisees they tried to arrest him, but could not because his time had not yet come.  But when Gentiles came to see him, Jesus realized that his hour had finally come.  This hour was the time of his glorification when he would be crucified, rise from the dead, and ascend to the Father.  But why would this hour be triggered by some Gentiles coming to see Jesus?

            In John’s theology seeing is the same as believing.  People see Jesus’ signs and then believe in him.  Jesus put it this way:

John 6:40  ⁴⁰ For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

            So the gentiles who came to see Jesus were also coming as believers hoping for the blessing of eternal life.  Up to this point in the Gospel of John, Jesus’ ministry had always been to the Jews.  But now, non-Jewish believers in God were coming to faith in Jesus.  And this fulfilled Jesus’ mission on earth to bring all people to faith.  Consider the following story from the Gospel of John:

John 10:11-16  (Jesus said,)¹¹ "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  ¹² The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.  ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.  ¹⁴ "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--  ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father-- and I lay down my life for the sheep.  ¹⁶ I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

           

            So Jesus, the Good Shepherd, was not there just for the Jews.  He came to earth as the Good Shepherd for everyone, Jew and non-Jew alike.  So when the Gentiles came to see and believe, Jesus knew that his hour had come because his mission had been fulfilled.  All people were coming to faith.  So it was time for Jesus’ glorification, his death, resurrection and ascension to heaven.  And through this glorification the gate would be open for all people on earth to find God.

            The key to church growth is the glorification of Jesus Christ.  His death on a cross, resurrection to new life, and ascension to the right hand of the Father is the seed that grows into the church.  And each of us is called to follow Jesus on this pathway.  We are called to death, resurrection and ascension to new life in Jesus Christ. This is the purpose of our lives – our own glorification.  And our glorification is the seed that builds up the church.

            Suppose that a farmer has a barn full of corn.  And all spring and summer he eats the corn.  The next year he notices that he has less corn in the barn than the year before, but he continues eating it never planting any.  This goes on year after year until there is no more corn in the barn.  The farmer then complains about his bad luck and has to sell the farm.  What would you call a farmer like that?  You would probably call him a fool for doing such a foolish thing.  Seed should not be eaten.  Seeds should be planted and with the right soil, moisture, temperature and sunlight, all provided by God, they will grow into abundance.

            Now suppose that someone comes to church and notices that there are fewer people in the pews than the year before.  “There must be something wrong”, he thinks.  But nothing is done about it.  The next year he sees even fewer people in the pews and grows a little more concerned, but does nothing.  After many years the congregation is too small and is merged with another church and the building sold, and he still does nothing.  What would you call such a person as this?

            Several years ago I was the Multicultural Intern at Pasadena Presbyterian Church. A young man from Korea came to an International Student Ministry my wife Grace and I had started.  Daniel was a talented musician and loved worship.  While taking English classes at Cal State LA he started a small group Bible study in his dorm room for other Korean students.  He encouraged the students to come with him to our ministry by giving them rides, and encouraging them to sing and play instruments in the praise band he established for us.  Through Daniel’s work we soon had over 40 students at the church every Saturday night.  Daniel was a seed which God planted in Pasadena CA to bear fruit for ministry and church growth. 

            You are the seeds that God has planted here in Ocean City to bear fruit in this church.  The hour has come when, with our glorification, that  all of Ocean City will come to faith.  Now is our hour when we, by our actions, show the love of Christ to our neighbors and friends.  Now is our time to testify to others about how God has blessed us so richly.  The hour has come when we need to be fruitful seeds by inviting our families and friends to come, see and believe in Jesus.

            Of course inviting people to come to church is hard.  People lead busy lives.  We don’t want to interfere with their lives or add to their burdens.  And inviting people who are different from us, “gentiles”, here in Ocean City is even harder.   The devil would like nothing better than to stop us right here and now.  But remember that it is God who glorifies us.  It is God who wants the church to grow.  And it is God who strengthens us to accomplish His will that everyone be brought to faith.  Remember these words from God to Isaiah:

Isaiah 49:6  "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."

            So with God’s strength behind us we cannot fail.  With Christ’s glorification the Devil has no power to stop us.  With confidence in your own glorification go into the world and bring the people of Ocean City to faith in Jesus Christ.  Let’s pray.

            Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for the gift of your death, resurrection and ascension.  You glory has been the light of the church for two thousand years.  We ask that you use us as seeds to grow this church.  Make this a place of prayer for all people.  Amen.

Sermon - John 12:1-11 – Having Jesus Over for Dinner

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon - John 12:1-11 – Having Jesus Over for Dinner

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

March 5, 2016

            Today we will gather around this table for the Lord’s Supper.  Each week, the church gathers around a meal after worship.  The Community of Men gathers for a monthly breakfast on the fourth Thursday at Denovos in Ocean Pines.  And The Lunch Bunch gathers in various restaurants on the second Tuesday of each month.  Breaking bread with each other is an important way of building relationships in the church.  That’s why Grace and I open our home often for church groups.  Jesus too gathered with his disciples and friends for meals.  And an account of one of these dinners is recorded for us in the Gospel of John.  But before we get to all of this please pray with me.

            Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)

            John 12:1-11  ^NIV John 12:1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.  ² Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.  ³ Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  ⁴ But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected,  ⁵ "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages."  ⁶ He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.  ⁷ "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.  ⁸ You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."  ⁹ Meanwhile, a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.  ¹⁰ So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well,  ¹¹ for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.

            John has given us a picture of Jesus going to the house of some friends for dinner.  In many ways, this supper was very ordinary.  Martha was in the kitchen getting things ready.  Every family needs a Martha, someone who cooks and cleans and makes sure that everything gets done right.  We have Marthas right here in this church, people who spend their time in the kitchen, or make food for the lunch, or care for the children of the church, or fix toilets when they leak.  Churches depend on their Marthas to make things happen around the church.  And as your pastor, I am very grateful to find many Marthas hard a work making church happen.

            I knew a Martha at my church in Eagle Rock.  Her name was Ellen.  She was a Korean immigrant just learning English and American Culture.  She came to Eagle Rock to meet Americans and learn English.  She sang in the choir, played the piano, served food at dinner and did whatever the church needed.  Ellen was always willing to help any way she could and I will always be grateful for her help.  And she was one of many Marthas in that church.

            One person at this dinner with Jesus should not have been there.  Lazarus should not have been at dinner because he had died.  That’s right Lazarus had died and was buried for three days when Jesus brought him back to life, and of course, he came to the family meal.  Many of us identify with Lazarus; we have experienced old lives that have died so that we could be reborn to new life in Jesus Christ.  Maybe our old lives were as alcoholics or drug addicts which ended when we found new lives by coming to faith in Jesus.  Maybe our old lives were killed by the loss of a job, or the ending of a relationship; we felt like we were dead, but were brought back to life by Jesus.  The church needs Lazaruses as much as it needs Marthas.  Its needs people who can testify to their spiritual rebirth in Jesus Christ to remind every one of the importance of faith and the hope that Jesus gives to those whose old lives are passing away and need hope of new life in Christ.

            There is a church in Northeast Los Angeles that is made up of Lazaruses.  For the last 40 years, Victory Outreach has gone into the community with a mission to gang members.  They tell the gang members that gang life results in death.  Fighting with guns and knives leads to the loss of arms and legs, a life in a wheelchair, years spent in prison, and death.  The life of a gang member ends in ruin.  But the church offers gang bangers a new life, a life of hope.  This new life is available to those who believe in Jesus Christ.  That church is now full of people who had chosen new life in Christ over gang life.   And the members of that church keep going back on the streets to testify to the salvation they found in Jesus Christ bringing more and more gang members for redemption and faith in Jesus.   

            Another person who should not have been at the dinner was Jesus because there was a warrant for his arrest.  The raising of Lazarus had caused quite a stir in that small town of Bethany, and the excitement spread all the way to Jerusalem.  The religious authorities in Jerusalem were concerned that all this excitement about Jesus’ sign would upset the Roman Empire and trigger a violent response.  So they decided to not risk Roman anger and chose to have Jesus arrested and sentenced to death.  So Jesus went into hiding in a town far to the north near the wilderness.  And there he remained with his disciples until coming back to Bethany for this supper with Martha, Lazarus, Mary and Judas.

            It is important for the church to have Jesus present whenever we break bread.  That is why we pray for Jesus to be with us when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.  And that is why we say grace before each meal not only thanking God for the provisions that make meals possible but also asking for Jesus to be there with us as our families and our churches gather for meals.

            Of course, whenever families or churches get together there will be conflicts.  I know of people who hate Thanksgiving because they have to eat a meal with their family and rehash all the old arguments and disputes.  The supper Jesus had with Martha, Lazarus, and family was no different.   There was a major dispute about the use of money.

            Mary opened an alabaster jar of very costly perfume.  Presumably, it had been purchased for the day when Jesus’ head would be anointed as king.  But with Jesus’ arrest at hand, Mary decided to use it now to anoint Jesus while he was still alive.  So she poured the oil on his feet and wiped it with her hair.  Families need Marys to lift them from the ordinariness of life to higher spiritual levels of worship.  Countless Marys have given their time and treasure for the worship life of this church.  Think of the teachers who have spent hours to prepare a lesson and then extravagantly pour that lesson out in a one hour class.  Think of the singers and musicians who have practiced and rehearsed for hours and hours and then pour out their gifts in a single performance.  Churches need Marys as much as they need Marthas and Lazaruses to beautify and adorn our worship of God.

            But there is one more person at the table, Judas.  Do churches need Judases?   We all know Judas.  He is the one who betrayed Jesus.  But let’s look at Judas, the follower of Jesus, who is seated at the table with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus before he decided to betray Jesus to the authorities.  John often calls Judas the son of Simon.  And we know that Simon the Leper owned the house where this supper is taking place.  So it is possible that Simon the Leper was the father of Martha, Lazarus, and Mary.  So since Martha, Lazarus, Mary and Judas all seen to have a father named Simon and since they are the ones sitting around the table with Jesus, it is plausible that they are all brothers and sister.    This is what makes this meal an ordinary family supper among siblings.  And the disagreement between Judas and Mary could be a spat between brother and sister.  And thus we can see Judas in a new light as a follower of Jesus who disagreed with his sister over how their money should be spent.  Families and churches need Judases to keep track of money and make sure that it is used appropriately.  Judas said that the money should be used to care for the poor.  Mary wanted it used in the worship of Jesus.

            This dispute has continued in the church for two thousand years.  Marys want funds spent to beautify the sanctuary, improve the music, and bring in good teachers and preachers.  Judases want the money spent on Samaritan Shelter, Shephard’s Crook, The Cold Weather Shelter, and other projects in our community, nation, and world.  Jesus acknowledged that both views are important.  We have to spend money on worship and we have to care for the poor.  But since the money for the ointment had been budgeted for anointing his body after his death he saw no reason why it could not be used now while he was still alive.  This infuriated Judas who had assumed that the perfume would be used to anoint Jesus as king.  As a result of his anger, the great tragedy of John’s gospel occurred.  Judas, a disciple of Jesus Christ, lost his faith, stopped believing in Jesus, and began making plans to betray him to the authorities.

            This is the great warning in the Gospel of John that disputes within the church can lead to unbelief.  Marthas, Lazaruses, Marys and Judases are all needed in the church.  But we know that with this diversity of opinion disputes will happen.  We must never allow our disagreements to cause us to lose our faith in Jesus Christ because the most important thing in the church is our faith that Jesus is here with us.  And the promise of scripture is that if Jesus is here with us and people in the community find out we will have more people in this sanctuary than we can imagine.  Marthas and Lazaruses and Marys and Judases will be breaking down our doors to get to Jesus and have faith in him.  Let’s pray.

            Lord Jesus, we thank you for being with us in worship today.  We ask that you bless the Marthas, Lazaruses, Marys and Judases who are worshiping with us today. Bless us with continuing faith even in the midst of our disagreements.  And help us to communicate to Ocean City the good news that you are right here with us in this church.  Amen.