John 12:23-26
23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
24 Truly I say to you, 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 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their 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.
Jesus has just visited at the home of his friend Lazarus and his two sisters…He is now on his way to Jerusalem…up to this point Scripture has indicated that Jesus’ ‘time had not yet come.’
In previous settings Jesus’s opponents plotted and schemed to arrest Him and kill Him…but found themselves stymied in their attempts.
[John 7:30] – they tried to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His time had not yet come.
[John 8:20] – He spoke these words while teaching in the temple…yet no one seized Him, because His time had not yet come.
But now…The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified [24] …His time had come…His purpose for coming to earth was about to be fulfilled…but the events that were about to happen were happening on God’s terms and in God’s timing…and that time had come.
He enters Jerusalem……the triumphal entry is part of God’s schedule as prophesied by the ancient prophets [Dan. 9:25-26].
He enters Jerusalem with the pomp and circumstance of a king…but that is not His intention…He begins to clarify something about His kingship that will trouble the multitudes:
…1) He is not the kind of king they are expecting
…2) He’s going to reveal what being a follower involves…it’s harder than it looks.
John notes [20] that there were some Greeks who were there to worship…a lot of controversy about who these guys were…probably proselytes to the Jewish religion who like all the other Jews came to Jerusalem to worship…hearing about Jesus they asked the disciples if they could see Him.
So did they get to see Him?…most likely they did but Scripture never really indicates they did…in addition, Jesus’s remarks to them is probably not what they expected to hear.
John records Jesus’ response to their request in [24-26] …in these three statements we see something of Jesus’ mission…and our mission…that each verse has a common message…with each verse helping to explain the other two.
The first statement [24] is in reference to the multitudes who see Jesus’ arrival as the military leader to free Israel from Roman oppression…this is His first response regarding His kingship that will trouble the multitudes:
…1) He is not the kind of king they are expecting…He reveals Himself as a different kind of king…I’m sure they were taken back at His response:
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.
Initially you have to ask…what has this got to do with anything…obviously in this analogy Jesus is referring to Himself but the analogy is applicable to us as well… Jesus didn’t have to physically show Himself to the Greeks…He showed Himself to them the same way He shows Himself to us today…He reveals Himself by stating truth.
He does this by using the analogy of something everyone at that time would have been familiar with…a kernel of wheat …that the seed, in order to produce a harvest, must die.
A single seed does not have the capacity to become fruitful and multiply while it’s sitting inside a sack…the seed must be planted in the earth and die…if it dies, it bears fruit.
Knowing nothing about wheat or what the seed to harvest ratio is I looked it up… generally there are two bushels of seed an acre…so…what do you get in return? forty to fifty bushels…that is quite a return…not surprising Jesus uses this analogy.
BUT…without the seed dying…it is incapable of bringing forth fruit…Jesus is the single seed that become fruitful but that can only occur under certain circumstances …like the seed…He must die.
The meaning of this verse is really deeper than what we perceive it to be in the English…I want to share with you the more accurate translation from the Greek.
Of all the translations I looked at…over 20…Young’s Literal Translation more closely agrees with the original language:
if the grain of the wheat, having fallen to the earth, may not die, itself remains alone; and if it may die, it bears much fruit
The way that reads and sounds makes it difficult to understand…but this translation more closely reveals the difficulty of Jesus’ decision to die…we have this idea that Jesus was willing without any emotion or distress…without having any second thoughts just submitted to the brutality of the Cross…that is not the case.
Notice it says: having fallen to the earth, (it) may not die…and if it may die, it bears much fruit…here’s something about this verse that doesn’t get emphasized because of the English translation.
Both words translated as ‘may not die’ are in the subjunctive mood…here’s why that’s important…the subjunctive is the mood of probability…what may or might happen…it indicates what the subject may do…or is expected to do…but is not commanded to do…it’s a choice.
Almost all translations bring this idea out to a small degree when they say ‘but if it dies’ implying a possibility it might not…so this verse is emphasizing the importance of His death…BUT…the wording in the Greek is implying what may or may not happen…John here is highlighting the human side of Jesus.
The wording in the Greek suggests Jesus had a choice…He could have at any time called the whole crucifixion thing off… ‘I don’t think I’m really up to this’ … ‘I’m just not feeling it today’ we see this same attitude in His prayer in the Garden.
Thankfully for our sakes…Jesus did fulfill His earthly mission…He did die…He saw it through to the end…dying on the Cross…He had a choice and He made it.
This verse is also applicable to us…we can make the decision to trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior…we’re like a seed in that sack…if a grain of wheat saves itself, it remains one grain until it rots…but if planted it may die but it multiplies itself thirty, sixty, or a hundred fold and continues its multiplication through all future generations of people.
Let me share something with you…why do you think God makes us wait until judgement day to give us rewards…why doesn’t He just do it when we die…why wait…here’s why…because what you do in this life will continue on long after you’re dead…you have no idea how many people in the future will be effected by what you have done during your time on earth…God wants you to get rewarded for it.
BUT…unless you’re planted, we won’t bear fruit…we’re good for very little.
For the Christian…here’s the thing about dying…dying doesn’t begin when we get a bad doctor’s report…for the Christian dying begins now…I’m not talking about the physical part of dying…what Jesus is referring to is the need to prepare and stay focused on the spiritual part of death.
How do we do that…by embracing dying as a way of life…I’m not talking about physical death…I’m talking about developing the habit now of letting go by dying to self.
Jesus expands on that statement in His SECOND point about His kingship that will trouble the multitudes…in [v 25] Jesus builds on [v 24] speaking exclusively to those who truly want to be His disciples…He’s going to open the minds and hearts of all those who wish to follow Him…is harder than it looks.
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
The words of this verse are familiar from the other Gospels [Matthew 10:39; Matthew 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24; Luke 17:33] …all these gospel writers record these same words in one form or another.
We have a few things to look at.
…FIRST…at this point who is Jesus talking to or about…is He still talking about Himself or is He talking about us as well…again it could be both… remember earlier I said Jesus makes three statementsthat have a common message…this is tied to [v. 24].
For Jesus…it’s game time…its decision-making time…but here’s the question… will He complete the task that He has been sent to do…goes back to the previous verse… ‘may not die’ …indicating what may happen.
Will He in fact follow through on His expected mission…or will He renege… loving this life more than wanting to lose it…that sounds blasphemous…but Scripture indicates that was a possibility… “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? [27] …these words show that Jesus, like us, is fearful and apprehensive at the coming of death.
Here’s Jesus…will He become the seed that remains alone…will He be swayed by the attractions of this world and walk away…or will He die so He can bear much fruit…ultimately…it is His choice.
It’s the question that’s been at the forefront of His ministry for the last three years… really since eternity…why would Jesus die for us…a question asked by the Psalmist thousands of years ago…what is man that you are mindful of Him?
For millions of years Jesus knew He would take on human form…come to earth and be disrespected…abused…and reduced to a mere criminal…why subject Himself to that…that’s what ‘may not die’ implies…He didn’t have to do it.
There’s not a person in this sanctuary that’s not faced with that same alternative everyday of our lives…it’s not as severe as being killed…but the question is just as great…will I remain faithful in my commitment to Jesus or will I be swayed by the attractions of the world.
…SECONDLY…we must not miss the point Jesus is making here when He uses the words ‘love’ and ‘hate’…Jesus uses the same terminology when referring to our relationship to our family members [Luke 14:26]:
If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters–yes, even their own life–such a person cannot be my disciple.
To get His point across He uses very contentious and challenging language – you must hate everyone else…how confusing…how do you do that…is Jesus speaking about making a choice between family and Himself…is Jesus commanding people to ‘hate’ their family members?
How can the Redeemer who “loved us and gave himself for us” [Galatians 2] at the same time require hatred from those He has redeemed? …how does that match up to what He teaches elsewhere: “Love your enemies” and “Love your neighbor as you love yourself”?
This is all included in [25] in what Jesus tells the Greeks:
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
I’m going deep into this verse this morning and I want you to stay with me…I’m going to unpack this verse and show you the importance of this verse by what it means in the Greek.
There are two confusing parts in this verse…the words ‘loves’ and ‘hates’ and the three words translated as ‘life’.
‘Loves’ and’ hates’ in this verse are both Greek present participles…that means it’s happening now…that you’re both hating and loving at the same time and the action of hating and loving doesn’t end…there is no termination of action…the Greek present participle means…it goes on indefinitely.
If you’re a Christian you’re both hating and loving…and it goes on throughout the remainder of your life…Jesus is not referring to hating people…in this verse Jesus defines the two types of people in the world.
Those who love their lives in this world and live as if this life is all that there is… their aim is to do what I want to do…what makes me happy…for some that is accumulating as much money and stuff as they think will make them happy…that is the person who loves his life.
The second type of people are those who hate his life in this world …in no way is Jesus saying we are to hate the life He has given us…nor is He suggesting we hateour family and friends…He’s saying…for those who want to cling to the world…love the world…instead of Him, demonstrate that they ‘love’ the world too much to sincerely follow Him [Mark 10:21-23].
He’s stating that our love for God…when compared to the love we have for anything else…whether that be for family or any earthly possession…in comparison will seem as hate.
He is saying be ready to hate everything that begins to compete with—even replace—our adoration, our affections, and our devotion toward him.
The question is in two parts:
FIRST…are we willing to place Jesus in first position and place what we think are the most important people and possessions in our life in second position.
SECOND…hating life in this context means being willing to forfeit our own personal purpose for God’s eternal plan for us…is this what you’re willing to do?
In this verse you see the intensity of commitment Jesus is asking for.
Our love for Jesus by comparison should be so great that our love for anything else will appear as hate.
…THIRDLY I want to look more closely at what Jesus is saying here in regard to loving and losing your life…look one more time at [v. 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
In the English this verse is confusing…because…the word ‘life’ appears three times as it does in the Greek…but the confusion comes because in the English all three words ‘life’ are spelled the same giving the impression they are all are referring to the same life… they’re not.
In the Greek…the first two words translated ‘life’ ψυχή (psoo-khay’) are referring to the life which is lived on earth…it would have helped if John would have added the words’ ‘in the world’ after the first two ‘life’…Peluso paraphrase:
The man who loves his life—in this world—will lose it, while the man who hates his life—in this world—will keep it…that seems to add clarity to the verse…it defines the difference between hate and love I just talked about.
When you add in the third ‘life’ (ζωή), which is not referring to physical life as the previous two did…but referring to the eternal life that adds clarity to this whole verse.
Again the Peluso paraphrase:
The man who loves his life—in this world—will lose it, while the man who hates his life—in this world—will keep it eternally.
We begin to see how all three of these verses tie together…first Jesus says: that trusting in Him as Lord and Savior is like being a seed…unless we’re planted, we won’t bear fruit…we’re good for very little.
Then He makes a comparison between love and hate…that our love for Him…our devotion to him when compared with anything else will seem as hate…not that we are to hate but that is how intense our love for Him should be…and when we do… there’s where the third verse 26 comes in:
Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, My servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves Me.
What Jesus is saying here is not a suggestion, it’s a command… ‘must follow’
‘whoever serves me must follow me’ is in the imperative voice…it’s a command from Jesus Himself…goes back to Jesus’s statement on serving two masters.
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other [Mat 6:24].
Not to take this verse out of context because the meaning is in regard to money …but the application is to anything that is in competition to our loyalty to Jesus.
Human nature gravitates toward comfort and pleasure…when faced with the reality of denying themselves to follow Jesus, most people turn away (John 6:66) the truth is that not many people are willing to pay the price to follow Him.
God offers salvation to everyone who accepts it [John 1:12; 3:16-18; Romans 10:9; 1 John 2:2] …but it’s on His terms…as a result there are few that want to endure and find it…this is stated in Matt 7:14.
The gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life and those who find it are few.
This verse is in agreement with [v 23, 24] because everything in our natural environment says love yourself…serve yourself…worship yourself…stand up for yourself…indulge yourself…please yourself…seek gain and honor and wealth and possessions for yourself …all leading us away from serving God.
Opposing masters demand different things and lead down different paths…if we attempt to align ourselves with two different masters, we will end up hating one and loving the other…it’s only natural.
The Lord is headed in one direction, and our flesh and the world are headed in the other…this is where the conflict comes in…we can only be obedient to one.
Let me share with you the importance of this…Jesus’ claim to us is exclusive…He bought us with His own blood and delivered us from our former master, sin [1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23; Rom. 6:17]. He owns us…He paid for us…Jesus doesn’t share His throne or possessions with anyone…He doesn’t share us with anyone or anything.
Scripture doesn’t merely say God is jealous…it’s more intense than that…His name is Jealous [Exodus 34:14] …this means He guards what is rightfully His.
You cannot serve two masters…there are no options…if we attempt to serve two masters, we will have divided loyalties…no such thing as following or serving Jesus part time.
It’s not…can you serve one or the either…today this one tomorrow that one…it’s either all or none… following Jesus is a choice…BUT…it means obeying Him… you must follow Me if you’re going to serve me…and if you do…it comes with a promise:
where I am, my servant also WILL be. My Father WILL honor the one who serves Me.
These words are in the future indicative…affirming an action will happen in a future time…that we will at some time be with Jesus…and God Himself will honor the one who serves Jesus.
Jesus is sharing what it looks like to be an obedient servant…the requirement is
1) the seed must die in order to multiply
2) the love for this world must take a back seat to our love for Christ
3) hating life in this context means being willing to forfeit personal purposes for God’s eternal purpose for us.
A servant who focuses on the desires of God will find his own desires being fulfilled
In these three verses Jesus is telling these Greeks about what a life of faith as His disciple looks like.
He makes it clear that this is first and foremost a salvation issue…saving faith in Jesus involves being that seed that is willing to die to self and surrender to Jesus as Lord and Master.
For each Christian, that happens at some initial point in our lives, whether or not we can identify exactly when it occurred…and for each Christian, that commitment expresses itself in ongoing acts of hating and loving each hour of each day of our lives…that’s what it means to take up one’s cross…the seriousness of that statement is not properly understood in today’s world.
In ancient times the cross was a torture tool used by the Romans to terrorize those who would speak against Caesar…the cross was a public humiliation that always represented death…so, when Jesus said that in order to follow Him, we must carry a cross…He meant that we must die before we can live.
We are called on to die to ourselves…our rights…our desire to be our own boss, and live unto him daily, in every aspect of our lives…it’s to follow him…to serve him rather than our own desires or the ways of the world…it’s to be where He is, rather than where we want to be.