The Lord Glorified in me

John 12:23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

John 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Praise the lord Jesus Christ ! This is one of the most emotional moments in Gospel of John where the lord has just met with his dear ones and is announcing the hour of his death. This was the lord almighty – the King of heavens who was saying that the most glorious moment of His life was here – the hours of his greatest grief – his separation from the heavenly father – the times of torment for all mankind – His moments where he became as a snake of moses bearing the sin and reproach of all the world. The Man Jesus was about to face the darkest of his hours on earth. Yet, here he was saying that is the moment of glory. Spiritual life is very much like this. There are times of trouble for us – which are God ordained. As we approach these times, as the storms and clouds gather announcing the darkness ahead, we need to say that the lord is Glorified in our darkness. For where is the spirit of Christ most revealed if not in the way a Christian ( a true born again child of God) faces trouble.

We are to be in a process of dying to ourselves – as indeed the picture of baptism is there in Rom 6. The good seed in us sprouts and bears fruit only when we (the external cover holding the seed) dies and the seed meets the ground. If we hold on to the life dearly, we disqualify ourselves for the heavenly ticket since John 12:25 warns that we will lose our life if we hold on too dearly. Like how eve was taken out of the side of Adam in his sleep, The Church, the glorious bride of Christ was taken from the side of Christ – purchased through the blood that flowed from the side.

The next chapter talked about the love of God and the last supper where he instituted the new covenant. And then the lord says – now is the son of man glorified and the God is glorified in Him.

John 13:31 Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

Ultimately, the main fruit of the spirit that the lord expects us to bring forth is LOVE. As Jesus says in John 13:35, the world shall know that we are the disciples of Christ through the love that he sees in us.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

John 13:35 By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

This love is not possible till we die to ourselves. The members of the church of Christ is a motley bunch. We sometimes make it very difficult for others to love us. But here is the lord glorified, that we the disciples of Christ should die to ourselves and love each other! Let’s be commited to this as a first step of the great commission and discipleship.

Amen.

Lord – Help us to be filled with the Holy spirit to bring forth the fruit of the spirit, love, without which all else is rendered useless. Help us to obey this simple command of yours by dying to ourselves daily. In this are you glorified. We ask this in Jesus Name, Amen.