Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: John 12 and Psalm 31

When Jesus entered Jerusalem that final week, His popularity was massive. The Pharisees said of Him: “‘…Look how the whole world has gone after him!” (v.19). To top it all off, the account of His calling Lazarus out of the grave had even reached the ears of some Greeks who were in Jerusalem for Passover. They were intrigued and very eager to meet Jesus. But why would their request to see Jesus trigger the response it did?

Jesus already had to deal with wrong expectations from His Jewish countrymen who expected Him to be a military Saviour-King. Could it be that these Greeks, hearing of Jesus’ power over life and death were fascinated by the possibility that He might be like one of their heroic demi-gods? Did they also have such a warped expectation of the sort of King Jesus was, that it led to His long explanation in John 12?

Whatever the exact reason, something in the approach of these men impressed on Jesus the need to reiterate (for Himself and for His listeners) that His calling was to be a Saviour-King who laid down His life for the salvation of the world. If he had taken the populist way of a worldly king, Jesus would only have influenced His own generation. His “fruit” would have been very limited and completely dependent on what he could accomplish in His lifetime. But when, like a grain of wheat, He surrendered Himself to die to self and completely pursue the will of His Father – even when that will led to Him being “lifted up” on the Cross – His saving work became effective for every generation.

Life Application: Jesus’ words in v. 25-26 are our life-application challenge for today. It’s the challenge to follow In Jesus’ footsteps of loving the Father so much as to offer Him absolute obedience and surrender: “²⁵ 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. ²⁶ 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.“