Jesus Embraced the Glory of the Cross!

5th Sunday in Lent, 3/25/12
John 12:20-33


Jesus Embraced the Glory of the Cross!
I. It was the focus of his work for us.
II. It’s the motivation for a life of discipleship.


I’ve heard the following invitations countless times: Let’s go out to eat. Let’s take a walk. Let’s play a game. Let’s go to the park. Let’s go shopping. Let’s watch the game. Let’s take a nap.

But I’ve never heard this one: Let’s go watch an execution.

I realize that the family members of murder victims may feel compelled to watch from a secure location while the accused murderer is put to death, but I don’t think any of them look forward to it as if they were going to the movies or to visit a favorite friend. Executions are gruesome events; some would even call them barbaric. And yet a majority of people at least in the State of Ohio feels they are necessary. I’m sure everyone feels that it would be wonderful if we didn’t have to hear about them at all.

And yet we don’t hear Jesus in the words of our text recoiling in any way from his own execution. This was Tuesday of Holy Week and Jesus knew that his execution was “scheduled” for that coming Friday, but we don’t hear of him making plans to slip away from his enemies or use his almighty power to thwart their plans. Instead, he states the following profound words, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” Did you hear that? Jesus was speaking about his execution on Calvary’s cross and he stated that it was the path to glory for him.

Therefore, instead of shrinking away from the cross, he embraced it. I know we’re all very familiar with Jesus’ death on the cross. It’s the very focus of our Christian faith. But the fact that he embraced it is astounding.

Jesus embraced the glory of the cross. He states his reasons for it in these words from John 12. Let’s see why.

Part I.

While being employed is a tremendous blessing, especially in this economy, I’m aware that it also brings tension and stress. The workplace environment is never perfect and, sometimes, it’s almost unbearable. One of the common reasons for it is that a particular employee isn’t doing their job. That might be due to the fact that the position description isn’t clear. For whatever reason, their supervisor hasn’t stated in black and white what they expect this employee to be doing.

More commonly, however, is that the description and the expectations are clear; the employee simply doesn’t want to do the job as stated. They conveniently find “more pleasant” things to do and that means their fellow workers have to work harder. It’s no fun, to say the least.

Believe it or not, Jesus had a job description for the work that he had come to do and, thanks be to God, he carried it out perfectly. That job description was stated in black and white on the pages of the Old Testament. He came to crush Satan’s power and he would do so by suffering and dying. This Good Friday we’ll read some of those prophecies at length. When Jesus was 40 days old, the aged believer Simeon met him and his parents in the Temple and foretold how this Child would pierce the soul of his mother Mary, a clear reference to his cruel death which Mary witnessed. And as an adult standing ready to begin his public ministry which would end with his death, Jesus and others heard John the Baptist declare him to be the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29), a clear reference to the sacrifice that he would make. Jesus knew where he was headed.

And he knew why. He states it with these words, “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.” Jesus used an illustration all too familiar. A seed, placed into the ground, must die in order to produce the fruit it was designed for. Along with that, the plant then produces many seeds. This was Jesus’ way of saying that he knew his death would bring life for us, real life, life with God, not just now, but forever.

But just as important, his death would bring glory to his Father. Jesus said, “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. Father, glorify your name!” Who would plan and then carry out the work of saving sinners who deserve to suffer hell eternally? Only our loving heavenly Father who was willing to sacrifice his Son for us. There is no more glorious plan or event in all of history. By carrying that plan our exactly, Jesus brought glory to his Father in heaven as the God who doesn’t demand that we save ourselves, but who carries out our salvation for us. How glorious!

But the glory doesn’t stop there. The death of Jesus brought glory to him as well. That’s what Jesus meant when he stated, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” He earned eternal glory by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. Those were the means by which he assumed rule over all things and is now worthy of eternal praise and glory.

Jesus embraced the glory of the cross. It was the focus of his work for us.

The third stanza of a popular Lent hymn states, “If you think of sin but lightly Nor suppose the evil great, Here you see its nature rightly, Here its guilt may estimate” (CW, 127:3). Like the masses of people, we often think little of our sins. All too many go unnoticed. Our sinful words slide off our tongues as if they were part of our normal speech. We consider it natural to be materialistic. Our worries are a natural part of our day. So what!? Tell that to Jesus. All those sins and more cost him his life. He suffered hell for them on Calvary’s cross. And most astounding of all—he went there willingly. He even embraced it because he knew that only through his death could he give us life. And now, in a world of uncertainties, we live in the absolute certainty of our forgiveness and life with him in heaven. That’s what he earned for us. And there’s his glory. Jesus embraced the glory of the cross! It was the focus of his work for us.

Part II.

What’s your attitude regarding Christians who have no trouble displaying their Christianity inside the friendly confines of their church but tend to check their Christianity at the door before they leave? Not very complimentary, is it? Jesus doesn’t think much of such a person either. That’s the reason he spoke so often about what it means to follow him, to be one of his disciples.

That’s what his death—his execution—was all about. He died so that you could be his disciple forever.

Most executions that take place have little or nothing to do with us. They’re just a statistic that our government records and the media announce. But it’s not that those executions have any real impact on us.

But Jesus’ did. As we stated earlier, Jesus knew that only by his death could he win life for us, eternal life. Only by dying for us could he rescue us from eternal death. Only by dying for us could he redeem us and make us his very own and members of his eternal kingdom.

But that also means that our lives have been completely changed. We’re his followers. We’re his disciples. When we declare our trust in him we’re also declaring our willingness to follow him. In fact, we promise to do so. In our confirmation vows we state that we will suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from him.

Jesus states that very thing with these words, “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. 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 indicates that following him involves a complete change. We must die to self. What’s he talking about? So many people live for themselves. They live to acquire whatever they want in life. Not so with disciples of Jesus. By our baptisms we put to death our sinful nature with its deeds and desires. It’s about what Jesus wants, not what we want.

And when that’s our outlook on life, then we’re living for Christ. We find ourselves asking what Jesus would want us to do, rather than what we want to do. We consider what will serve the spiritual needs of others, rather than our physical needs. We’re willing to get stepped on, if it allows others to see Jesus through us.

That might sound like an inglorious way to live, but consider again what Jesus said. “My Father will honor the one who serves me.” Don’t look for that honor to come to you here and now. But be sure it will come when you meet your heavenly Father. There are no more glorious words than these which the Father will speak about you, “Come, inherit the kingdom prepared for you.” And then you, with all God’s saints, will go marching in.

That will be our final act of discipleship. Every one of our acts of discipleship now is motivated by the fact that Jesus embraced the glory of the cross for us.

Occasionally you hear someone state that they owe someone else a debt of gratitude and they are making their lives an expression of thanks.

In a very real way, that’s what our lives are as followers of Jesus Christ. Where our lives don’t reflect that high calling, let’s confess it. And then live in the confidence of our forgiveness, a forgiveness that is ours because Jesus embraced the glory of the cross for us. By his death he made us his disciples. By his resurrection he gives us the power to live like it. May the Lord empower your discipleship efforts! Amen.