John 12:27-34
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply for a few seconds before you begin. If you haven’t read the Introduction to John’s Gospel, read it here.
In yesterday’s passage we heard Jesus’ response to a few “Greeks” who sought him out. In today’s passage, a crowd has gathered to hear Jesus as he continues that response. Read John 12:27-34 noting Jesus’ clear statement about why he came to earth.
At the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, God the Father spoke words of confirmation as Jesus was baptized (John 1:29-34). Now as Jesus faces the culmination of his earthly ministry, God speaks again, but this time God confirms the ultimate purpose of Jesus’ ministry. God will be glorified through Jesus’ death on behalf of all humanity. This would be barbaric were it not for the fact that Jesus is God in the flesh. Only God can redeem creation, and only a fully human Jesus with fully human emotions, can offer the sacrifice that will set thing right.
Stop to think about the fact that God became fully human in Jesus and experienced the full range of human emotions. What do you think or how do you feel about this? Talk it over with Jesus.
Read John 12:27-34 again focusing in on the response of the crowd.
He has stated his ultimate purpose, and God the Father has spoken audibly in agreement. He now refers to the Exodus and the lifting up of the bronze snake – a symbol of the curse that entered the world through human rebellion – and he identifies himself as the one who will be cursed and lifted up on a Roman cross in order to draw humanity back to himself. But the crowd “understands from Scripture” that the Messiah will live forever. They seemed to miss the indications in the Old Testament that intense suffering will come first (see Psalm 22 and Isiah 53), and they obviously have not understood who Jesus really is.
The Scriptures point us to Jesus, on Jesus’ terms – if we allow them to. When we bring our own expectations, paradigms or desires to our reading of Scripture, we can miss the point.
What might you be brining to your reading of the Bible?
How are you seeking to develop a Jesus lens for reading Scripture?
Talk all of this over with Jesus.
Now get quiet for a minute or two and listen to Jesus. What do you sense Jesus saying to you? What will you do about that?
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