Getting the Right Results
John 12:20-33
by Jim Westmoreland
Mark Twain once said, "Most people are bothered by those passages of
Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do
understand." That's the way I feel about this passage in John 12. There is just no
acceptable way to water it down. You see, what Jesus talks about today leads to a cross.
Years ago, when the Betty Crocker company first began selling their cake mixes, they
offered a product which only needed water. All you had to do was add water to the mix,
which came in the box, and you would get a perfect, delicious cake every time.
It did not do well at all! No one bought it, and the company couldn't understand why. So,
they commissioned a study which brought back a surprising answer. It seemed that people
weren't buying the cake mix because it was too easy. The study found that people didn't
want to be totally excluded from the work of preparing a cake; they wanted to feel that
they were contributing something to it. So, Betty Crocker changed the formula and required
the customer to add an egg in addition to the water. Immediately, the new cake mix was a
huge success.
But things have changed! In our day, do you think the masses want to use bowls, beaters
and cake pans that they will have to clean up? Will they stir up a mix and add any
ingredients? Do you think the masses want to turn on the oven to 400 degrees, heat up the
kitchen and then wait 30-40 minutes for their cake to cook? Today, if we can't
open a box, tear off the cellophane and microwave it for three or four minutes, then it is
too inconvenient!
We want to get all of our results quick and easy. I'm afraid that patience and
persistence are not modern virtues. Sometimes, we approach our faith like that. We want
our lives to have joy and meaning and value. Those are the results we want. But,
when it comes to the cost of time, talents, and resources, as well as the commitment to do
the things that are not comfortable and easy, well, many people prefer their religion
"lite." We want instant religion, instant results feelings only no
learning, no discipline, no serving others, no losing ourselves for Christ's sake no
water and no eggs just take it out of the package and microwave it! I'm afraid that we
have become used to "settling for less" in both our food and our faith.
In our text from John 12 Jesus gives a surprising response to the Greeks who came seeking
Him. It is helpful to remember what has been happening in Jesus' life during the days
leading up to this encounter.
In 11:47 the chief priests and the Pharisees had convened a council and begun to plan
together to kill Jesus. After Jesus learned of this, he no longer continued to walk
publicly among the Jews. In chapter 12, Jesus comes to Bethany six days before the
Passover to stay with the Mary, Martha and their brother, Lazarus, whom he had raised from
the dead. Their home had been a familiar stopping place for him. It was near Jerusalem,
just across the little valley outside the Temple mount where the Kidron flowed, past the
garden of Gethsemane and over the hill full of olive groves. Their home was now a retreat
from the those who would kill him.
John tells us that Jesus ate supper with them. The times were ominous and threatening, but
their home was full of pleasant and warm memories. Martha was serving, Lazarus was
reclining at the table with Jesus, and Mary was there too. John doesn't tell us what they
talked about, but he gives us a picture of Mary's devotion to Jesus that the Church has
never forgotten. She anoints Jesus' feet with the pound of costly perfume. What she did
was extravagant!! For Mary's heart, a few drops could not express what was inside of her.
Her heart was full and she poured the whole contents freely onto Jesus' feet and wiped it
with her hair. We might have felt uncomfortable in the presence of such intimacy, but
Jesus was gracious in receiving her gift.
In verses 12-19 is John's account of the what we call Palm Sunday. The crowd has heard
that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem and began to cry out their "Hosannas" and
wave their palm branches as he rode in on a donkey.
And so, this is the context: there is a plot to kill Jesus by the religious leaders, there
is the frenzied excitement of the crowds, and there are many curious pilgrims who had
traveled to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem. Now, our text today begins with some Greeks,
perhaps converts to Judaism who had heard some of the rumors buzzing around about Jesus,
approaching Philip and saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus.'
Jesus' response is "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." His
glory will not come from returning Israel to its days of glory under King David. Rather,
his glory comes from the Father. The results that Jesus seemed to notice had to
do with giving, sacrifice, loving and serving others, and being obedient to the will of
the Father.
If we want to trust in Jesus when we die, we need to learn to trust Him while we live by
the way we live. Jesus said, "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,
it remains alone, just a single grain; but, if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who
love their life lose it, and those who give their life in this world will keep it for
eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be
also." If we want to get the right results, we have to do the right
things.
What were the right things that Jesus just talked about? He talked about dying, and he
talked about losing our lives for His sake? Jesus was talking about quality of
life issues, about how to get the right results. When we talk about quality
of life, we usually are talking about health, wealth and recreation. When Jesus talks
about quality of life, he is talking about us being together with Him doing the things
that count for eternity! Jesus never talks about quality of life in terms of comfort, but
in terms of serving and loving others. Jesus did not die for us to be comfortable. He
chose dying, even as the seed dies, because that was the way to Life.
For most of us, dying to self is our biggest cross to bear. Jesus calls us to living a
giving and forgiving kind of sacrificial life. In losing our lives for Christ's sake God
writes His new covenant on our clean and forgiven hearts. That's how we get
the right results! That's when we discover a new way of living!
Dorothy Sayers, an English writer of the twentieth century and daughter of an Anglican
minister, was, herself, a devoted Christian. She wrote, "In the world it is called
tolerance, but in hell it is called despair . . . the sin that believes in nothing,
interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives
for nothing, and remains alive because there is nothing for which it will die." Jesus
said unless the seed dies, it will not live and be fruitful. Unless, Christians die to
themselves and put Christ first, then we won't have the quality of life that Christ makes
possible, and, we won't be fruitful either. That's "Discipleship 101." If
we want to get the right results, we have to do the right things. These are
the basics. How do we live the life of a disciple? Jesus said, "Deny yourself, take
up your cross daily, and follow Me." The basics don't change, and we never grow
beyond the need for them.
There is a story of a famous sea captain. This captain was very successful at what he did;
for years he guided merchant ships all over the world. Never did stormy seas or pirates
get the best of him. He was admired by his crew and fellow captains.
However, there was one thing different about this captain. Every morning he went through a
strange ritual. He would lock himself in his captain's quarters and open a small safe. In
the safe was an envelope with a piece of paper inside. He would stare at the paper for a
minute, then lock it back up. After, he would go about his daily duties. For years this
went on, and his crew became very curious. Was it a treasure map? Was it a letter from a
long lost love? Everyone speculated about the contents of the strange envelope.
One day the captain died at sea. After laying the captain's body to rest, the first mate
led the entire crew into the captains quarters. He opened the safe, got the envelope,
opened it and... The first mate turned pale and showed the paper to the others... Four
words were on the paper: "Port - Left; Starboard - Right".
After hearing this, do we laugh because we, too, have always had trouble remembering which
side was which on a boat! Or, do we nod with admiration? He had made a point
to remember the basics!!
As individuals and as churches, we often get more concerned about doing things right
than in doing the right things. In response to the Greeks who had come to see
Him, Jesus cut to the core of what it meant to follow Him when he told them how
to get the right results -- Quit spending all your energy trying to save and
preserve yourself. Instead, give yourself completely to Me, serving and loving others, and
you will be with Me and know Me and the eternal life that is in Me! Do this,
and you'll get the right results!
Prayer: Oh, Lord, may your Spirit nudge us where we need
nudged, teach us what we need taught and lead us to do what we need to do. Amen.