John 12:24-27 (WEL) “Very truly, I say to you, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains just one, but if it dies, it produces a lot of fruit. 25 “The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. 26 “If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will be, too. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. 27 “Now my soul is troubled, and what can I say, Father, save me from this hour? The reason I came is for this hour.
V24 “Very truly, I say to you, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains just one, but if it dies, it produces a lot of fruit.
Jesus has just stated (v23), “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”
Now, He explains. Salvation is not in Moses, not in a birth heritage, not in anything except faith. The old must die and the new brought in. The New Covenant will come into force soon, which means that the old must die.
Must die refers to be inoperative and discarded. The New Covenant was predicted in Jeremiah 31:31 and officially declared in Matthew 26:28. It was initiated after Jesus’s ministry on the cross when He declared, “It is finished (John 19:30).” Also see Hebrews 8:8, Hebrews 9:15, and Hebrews 12:24.
Lots of fruit will be produced from the effects of the New Covenant, for many will believe in Jesus alone for salvation.
V25 “The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.
If we love the life we have now, it is death, because of our sins. Only when we hate this life and believe in Jesus alone is there eternal life.
This idea is taught in the Old Testament (Genesis 15:6), so it is not a concept they would be ignorant of. Also see Psalm 22:4, Habakkuk 2:4, Isaiah 28:16, etc. Psalm 78:21-22 shows the effects of not believing and trusting God.
A choice must be made by every individual. What will you do with Jesus? Will you trust or reject?
V26 “If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will be, too. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
To follow is to obey Him, have God’s way of life, worldview, beliefs, rules, attitudes, etc.
Servants are to be near their Lord unless they have been sent out on a mission He commanded.
Serving God faithfully has great rewards. Compare 2 Samuel 2:30, Matthew 16:24,
In Luke 16:10, we are taught about an attitude, namely, if we are faithful in our godly duties with just a little matter, then we will have the same attitude and motive to be faithful in a larger matter.
A few things of honor—Ephesians 1:3, Romans 8:15, and Revelation 21:4. These are a very few of the wonderful things that God will honor us with.
Jesus served His Father so completely that He will receive the greatest honor (John 17:1, John 17:5, and Revelation 19:16.
We must also glorify the Father in obedience and service—1 Corinthians 6:20 and Titus 2:14.
V27 “Now my soul is troubled, and what can I say, Father, save me from this hour? The reason I came is for this hour.
Jesus’s soul is troubled because He knows the time is quickly approaching for his trials, sufferings, and crucifixion where He will face the full wrath of God. Matthew 27:46 Jesus has a separation from His father. Death is separation, not lack of existence or being. Jesus was not abandoned for long—Acts 2:27 (Psalm 16:10).
Jesus tells us plainly that He will not pray for deliverance because doing so is His commission.
Principle: There are rare times when we are not to pray for deliverance.
We learn:
- About the New Covenant, faith, death, and Jesus’s ministry.
- The God the Father will honor those who serve Him. Compare
Questions:
- Do you seek to honor God in all you say and do?
- Are you willing to serve God regardless of the cost?