Holy Tuesday
Day 3
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Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell 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. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their 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.
“Now my soul 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!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
John 12:20-36
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:24
Our journey continues as we walk with Jesus through Holy Week with an albeit troubling day. On the other side of history, we may take comfort in Jesus’ prediction of his own death, but can you imagine being one of his followers or a Greek who had traveled to hear from Jesus himself and the scene unfolding around you? Just as Jesus is at the height of his popularity and fame, after all of the celebrations we witnessed just two days ago, his tone turns to a future where the necessary thing is the hardest to hear.
For the believer, with the knowledge that this prophetic parable would come to pass, you may be tempted to see this as something exclusive to Jesus. Certainly, He was the only Son of God, the only one who was able to lay down his life for the salvation of many, but what does it look like to live so selflessly for those who now claim His name, who call themselves Christian? We may read passages like Mark 11:24 and see the power that is available to us through prayer, but do we wield it the way that Jesus did when, even though his soul was troubled, he said to his Heavenly Father, “Not my will, but thine be done?” Do we live with such obedience because we long for a world in desperate need to hear the voice of God? If all you prayed for today was given to you, how many people would know Jesus as Savior as a result?
And for the wonderer, how can it be that the whole crowd surrounding Jesus on that day heard that voice? How many people do you know who would willingly lay down their lives for the sake of another? What about for a stranger? Are you starting to see Jesus’ mission this week, his single-minded focus on being obedient to the task in front of Him so that the outsider could be brought inside, so that he could, as the people cried out, save?
Each day is bringing us closer to the conclusion, are we prepared for it?
Prayer
Father, this week is full of moments that could pierce my heart; where if I was sensitive to the Spirit as I focused on the Son, then life-change could maybe be inevitable. I pray that you continue to soften my heart today and make your way through the walls of defensiveness that rise up when I'm challenged to be more like Jesus. I want to live a life of radical obedience, one that is laid down for the sake of others, but I know that is only possible through your power. Search my heart today, and reveal to me the areas where I am living for anything other than your mission. Amen.
Scripture References
