John 12:23-50

Here we start to get a sense of the deep emotion stirring in Jesus as he knows his time has come (v 23). Up until now John has told us repeatedly that Jesus’ time had not yet come, but now it has and he knows it cannot and should not be avoided.

The arrival of Greek visitors prompts Jesus to speak of the harvest that will come from his death not just for the Jews but all people of the earth (v 24,32). Right now is not the time for judgement, that will come but at a later date, now it  is about salvation.

In the upside down world of the gospel those who love their life will lose it, and those who don’t will receive eternal life. The call to follow is a call to servanthood, but with it comes the promise of honour from the father. This is the last time Jesus will address the crowd en mass (v 44) and it seems to me that we get a sense of the urgency Jesus feels. There isn’t much time left before his death and resurrection to teach them the truth and point them to the Father.

We have been given a choice to walk in the light or in the dark, to trust Jesus or not. The challenge is real but so is the reward.

Response: Choose a word, phrase, idea or action that strikes you as significant at this moment in your life and spend a few minutes reflecting on it.