Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover
celebration paid a visit to
Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.” Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to
ask Jesus. Jesus replied, “Now
the time has come for the Son of Man to
enter into his glory. I tell you the truth,
unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a
plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their
life in this world will lose it. Those
who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to
serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves
me.
John 12:20-26 (NLT)
There are enough confusing issues in life today to destroy just
about anyone’s sense of direction and purpose.
In today’s text we have the two foundational truths for followers
of Jesus that give both direction and eternal purpose.
The first truth is that following Jesus means telling others. Philip and Andrew found themselves in
conversation with others who were curious about Jesus. They went together to ask Jesus what to
do. This example is “Christianity-101”;
we always take our questions and issues to Jesus in prayer. A servant always seeks the Master’s will; we
always seek to honor the Master.
The second truth is that serving Jesus won’t necessarily make you
popular or rich. Jesus’ response
to Philip and Andrew was a glimpse of the
passion to come, Christ’s arrest,
crucifixion, death and resurrection. In
this answer the Lord was setting the tone for all true Christian living –
unselfish serving is life in God.
There is much good being done by the Church in this world
– true ministry that reaches many for the kingdom of God; much of it is done in
unselfish submission to the will of God.
Then again, there is much done that is driven by worldly agenda;
selfishness dies hard!
Some preach a so-called “Gospel” who are really proclaiming the
opposite of these two foundational truths.
The preachers of personal prosperity point you in a
direction away from unselfishness, and toward greed. Of necessity this violates both foundational
issues. When “following Jesus” means
amassing personal wealth and popularity, you can hardly be concerned about
telling others about Jesus, or giving unselfishly.
But, let me say it one more time, selfishness dies hard.
If you’re interested in following the real Jesus, you
have to kill the selfishness within.
That’s what He did in Gethsemane the night before the crucifixion:
“My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering
be taken away from me. Yet I want your
will to be done, not mine.” Matthew
26:39b (NLT)
If you’re interested in following the real Jesus, it has got to be
HIS will, not mine.
For You Today
I have a probing question I
must answer every day when I first wake up, and I recommend it if you want to
be a follower of Jesus Christ – whose will am I seeking today?
This question will renew
your purposes to live a life honoring to God, and set your direction for the
day to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
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