Day 15 - 40 Days of HOPE
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days of HOPE
Day 15 | HOPE AND THE CROSS
40 Days of HOPE
Day 15 | HOPE AND THE CROSS
HOPE AND THE CROSS
John 12:23-27
“Jesus replied, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, 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. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!’” (ESV)
The day that Christians call “Good Friday” is to many a strange name for the day Jesus went to the cross.
Note a few things in what Jesus said as recorded by John in the verses above.
As Jesus looks into the future – knowing that His crucifixion is coming – he says: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”
Really? Glorified? Doesn’t Jesus KNOW how horrible that method of execution is?
And, of course, He does. But also Jesus knows that “as long as the earth remains there shall be seedtime and harvest.” Jesus knows how the life of a seed works. How the seed must die before it can bring forth a new plant and more seeds AND how Jesus’ own death was part of the Father’s plan. It seems clear that the disciples didn’t quite understand. Neither that Jesus would die nor that he would rise again.
And I don’t blame them after seeing all the miracles that Jesus performed.
A word we want to focus on as we read this section is the word HOPE. A tremendous word!
You see, we exercise HOPE when we plant seeds. We are hoping for a plant to come forth out of this planted seed. Farmers have even bigger expectations as they are hoping for more seed from the crop to use for future crops.
Jesus was trying to teach the disciples the same lesson about HOPE… but concerning Himself.
Prayer: LORD, thank You for going to the cross for me. Thank You for providing me an opportunity to have everlasting life by placing my faith in You. If there hadn’t been a Good Friday, there would not have been an Easter. You changed history. Thank You! Amen.
John 12:23-27
“Jesus replied, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, 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. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!’” (ESV)
The day that Christians call “Good Friday” is to many a strange name for the day Jesus went to the cross.
Note a few things in what Jesus said as recorded by John in the verses above.
As Jesus looks into the future – knowing that His crucifixion is coming – he says: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”
Really? Glorified? Doesn’t Jesus KNOW how horrible that method of execution is?
And, of course, He does. But also Jesus knows that “as long as the earth remains there shall be seedtime and harvest.” Jesus knows how the life of a seed works. How the seed must die before it can bring forth a new plant and more seeds AND how Jesus’ own death was part of the Father’s plan. It seems clear that the disciples didn’t quite understand. Neither that Jesus would die nor that he would rise again.
And I don’t blame them after seeing all the miracles that Jesus performed.
A word we want to focus on as we read this section is the word HOPE. A tremendous word!
You see, we exercise HOPE when we plant seeds. We are hoping for a plant to come forth out of this planted seed. Farmers have even bigger expectations as they are hoping for more seed from the crop to use for future crops.
Jesus was trying to teach the disciples the same lesson about HOPE… but concerning Himself.
Prayer: LORD, thank You for going to the cross for me. Thank You for providing me an opportunity to have everlasting life by placing my faith in You. If there hadn’t been a Good Friday, there would not have been an Easter. You changed history. Thank You! Amen.