23 Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 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 presents to us a precious kingdom Truth today and one of which I pray I am able to do a glimmer of justice: in the spiritual realm, glorification follows death – the crown follows the cross. In Christ, death is the means of entry into glory. Jesus fleshed this Truth out and as His followers we are directed to flesh out the same high calling.
“Calvary is God’s great proof that suffering in the will of God always leads to glory.” Warren Wiersbe
What is actually meant by these confusing statements? Seriously, are we to die to be glorified? Are we to be looking for a tree for our crucifixion? Figuratively, the answer is yes. Remember, Christ went to the cross before going to the throne. Paul clearly spells out in Philippians the order and humility of Christ’s life and beckons us to the same high calling:
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil 2:5-11 (NIV)
In His incarnation, Christ willingly surrendered His right to manifest Himself visibly as the God of all splendor and glory. This set an example for us of humility before honor. Flesh fights this. There is something about humility and meekness that we perceive as weak. Nothing could be further from the Truth. Christ-like humility and meekness exemplify great strength and power under control – a willing relinquishing of rights for a higher purpose. It is no wonder that Jesus repeatedly told His disciples:
23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? Luke 9:23-25 (NIV)
When we selflessly and lovingly obey our Lord Jesus, the overflow of the Holy Spirit will flow through our lives into the lives of others around us – oftentimes without our being aware - because behind the deed of obedience is the reality of Almighty God. It is first being then doing. This is the whole point in denying self – our actions point to the power of Jesus. The daily crosses we are called to bear should be considered for the harvest they will bring about. The thought process our Lord had was to consider the joy His actions would produce – in His case, bringing many to glory:
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. Heb 2:9-11 (NIV)
This whole order of things was just as shocking to His disciples then as it is to His followers now. They were expecting an earthly kingdom set up and led by Jesus. Excited by both His triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the desire of strangers - like the Greeks - to have an audience with their Master all appeared to fuel their spark of desire for an earthly kingdom into a full blaze. Jesus was well aware that they were expecting a glorious kingdom to be immediately set up in which they would have high places of authority and power. Believers today still have trouble realizing that it is not all about us – our ease, our comfort, our wants, etc. – rather it is all about Jesus and our following after Him. Our verses for today rectify the conceptions of those hearing Jesus and serve as a reminder to what He had repeatedly told them – they do so for us as well.
“Before we can pray ‘Thy kingdom come,’ we must be willing to pray, ‘My kingdom go.’” Alan Redpath
The focus of the believer in Jesus Christ is to be on Him – willingly emptying ourselves of selfish ambitions and vain conceits – crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires - in order that the fullness of the Holy Spirit may be made manifest in us. Scripture states there is no Law against these things: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. As we begin to manifest the Spiritual Fruit in a disciplined, ever increasing measure, it will certainly call for denial of self yet Scripture tells us this action will produce a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.