HUMILITY, SERVICE AND LOVE
JOHN 17: 13 -25
INTRODUCTION
Dear Congregation, Today we want to dwell on a seemingly contradictory statement that is central to the Christian faith: the path to glorification through humiliation, to victory through sacrifice, to life through death. This theme is made clear to us in the words of Jesus himself. Jesus speaks of his coming glorification when He arrives in Jerusalem. He says that the moment has come when the Son of Man will be glorified. But what exactly does He mean? He will be glorified, receive honor and receive glory, so He says. But the way in which He achieves this is completely opposite to what the crowd – and also us – expect. For many, success on earth means wealth, power, fame and prestige. But Jesus points us to another kind of honor: the honor that comes from God. He will be lifted up on the cross, not only literally (physically), but also figuratively. His death on the cross, though seen by the world as shameful and humiliating, is seen by God as an act of obedience and sacrifice. By his death He saves many and He deserves the highest honor.
THE MUSTARD SEED
The image of the mustard seed illustrates this principle: A mustard seed must die before it can produce new life. So also Jesus: through his death he brings forth new life for all who believe in him. His death is not the end, but the beginning of his glorification. Today I want to focus on a powerful image that Jesus uses to describe his imminent death and resurrection: the image of the mustard seed. This image illustrates in a beautiful way how Jesus’ death brings life to many. Imagine, one mustard seed. The seed of a plant. This grain contains life and nutritional power. But to really reach its full potential, the seed must be sown. It must be buried in the ground, and in a sense die. But out of this death comes new life. If all goes well, the grain germinates and grows into a wheat plant, which in turn produces many ears full of mustard seeds. It is a beautiful image of fertility and abundance. Jesus compares Himself to this mustard seed. He says that He will soon be buried and die on the cross. But this is not the end, on the contrary, it is the beginning of something big. His death brings new life, eternal life, to all who believe in Him. Through his death there will be a great harvest, many people will receive life from his death. Although Jesus does not explain in detail how exactly this works, the Bible tells elsewhere – especially Paul – that through his death the punishment for sin is borne. Most important, however, is the effect of his death: many people will receive eternal life through him, because he lets himself be sown as seed.
HIS CROSS DEATH
And not only that, Jesus himself will also live through his death on the cross and burial! For Him, death is not the end, but the beginning of his glorification. He will receive the highest honor from the Father and he will save many people, precisely because his death bears fruit. May we take this image of the mustard seed to heart and recognize that Jesus’ death is not only a tragic end, but the beginning of something great and fruitful. May we be grateful for the life He brought us through his sacrifice and may we share this life with others, to the honor and glory of Him who loved us. And Jesus invites us to follow Him on this path of self-sacrifice. Although we may not have to die on a cross, we are invited to put aside our own pursuit of success and recognition and live for God and others. To understand and follow Jesus. The idea of being crucified, of denying ourselves, goes against worldly norms. The world tells us to stand up for ourselves, to pursue our own success, to gain honor and fame. But Jesus teaches us another way: the way of humility, service and love.
HUMILITY, SERVICE AND LOVE
It is difficult, yes, even impossible, to follow this path by ourselves. Our natural tendency is to pursue our own interests, to seek our own honor and glory. But Jesus calls us to deny ourselves and follow Him. For me personally, this is a daily struggle. In a thousand things I realize that I tend to pursue my own honor and success, rather than doing God’s will and loving others. But Jesus tells us: die to yourself, and live from Me. Do everything for Me and for others, and let Me glorify you. This is a lesson for all of us. Stop chasing after earthly honor and fame. Stop striving for success and recognition. Let yourself be guided by Jesus, who gave us the example of self-sacrifice and service. It may sound heavy and negative to die to yourself, but it is the way to true greatness, to true elevation. Whoever chooses this path will be glorified by God. Jesus promises us: “If I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” The cross is not only a sign of humiliation, but also of exaltation. Jesus sacrificed Himself for us, so that we can live. Let us then follow Him on this path of love and self-sacrifice, knowing that He leads us to the highest honor and glory.
SUMMARY
Let us therefore follow the path of Jesus, knowing that true glorification does not come through human standards of success, but through faithfulness to God and service to others. I pray that our lives will be a testimony of this truth, to the honor and glory of Him who loves us. May this message touch our hearts and lead us to a life that is not focused on ourselves, but on Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. AMEN