1.A kernel of wheat

Today, the last sunday of the church year, we observe the 5th Lord’s day of Lent. The lecturing portion is John 12:20-33, in which we focus on 2 important verses. The first is 12:24;- 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.

The phrases show Jesus’ taking decision to accept definitively the death on the Cross, through which God should accord fruitful result.

And the ather is John 12:31;- But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”

” Be lifted up from the earth” has double meanings. One is on the Cross by earthy power and the second is into heaven by God. Both of those verses above point out the upcoming Passion and Resurrection. Today we will contemplate on signification of those events.

The episode begins with some gentiles’ arrival in Jerusalem;- Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” ¡ÊJohn 12:20-21¡Ë

In the Gospels, the word “Greek” doesn’t mean necessarily Greek persons but non-Jewish people, regardless of race or nationality. Judea had been dominated by Greek power Seleucid dynasty* then, in Jesus’ time, was under Roman Empire. Therefore numerous gentiles were living there.

Philip, one of Jesus’ disciple, was from Bethsaida in Galilee, where many gentiles were found among inhabitants. It seems they became curious because of Jesus’ fame and asked Philip to present themselves to Jesus.

When Jesus met them he said ;- “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. (John 12:23)

“To be glorified” here signified “to be crucified.” Till that moment, Jesus had been preaching to Jewish people but Jewish authorities, considering themselves to be chosen by God, hated and tried to kill him. Besides Israelites, who had once praised and honored him, began already being disappointed by Jesus. Under such circumstances gentiles came to him by seeking a way to God. The wave arrived. From the fact Jesus understood the crucial time came. He said;- 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.(John 12:24)

From a sowed seed a sprout comes out and grows up then gives grains. However the seed itself must loose its original state. Jesus, as a man, is willing to give up his life in order to accord innumerable lives to other humans. In contrast a seed which was kept as stock remain in form but give no fruit. Jesus tried to explain that very essential of the good news in this way.

Furthermore he continues ;- The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.(John 12:25)

In Greek text, “his life” is ¦×¦Ô¦Öή,n (Psuche) ,which means a living being. And “Eternal life” is ¦Æ¦Øή,n (Zoe) signifies real and genuine life, a life devoted to God. “The man who loves his life” represents a man who seeks earthy values, money or reputation or social success. After the death of such a life nothing could be left . Fro example, Alexander the Great and Napoleon established their dynasty and empire but all of them were lost afterwards.** They loved life of earthy glory and results faded away in history.

On the contrary, ‘the man who hates his life in this world” means a man who won’t seek secular values. He willingly surrender earthy life, like Jesus. And Jesus’ death on the Cross changed completely disciples’ way of living . They were profoundly moved by the incident and awaken to the given mission. Thus they commenced to live by witnessing to Jesus’ love and founded the church. The new born church survived through oppressions during centuries and remains today and numerous humans converted to Christianity. We are among them. A kernel of wheat which falls to the ground and dies gave such incredible fruits.

2. God’s response

Despite his own nature, the Son of God, Jesus was also temporarily a human. There for he was upset by facing the upcoming death. The Gospel writer doesn’t conceal that fear;- “Now my heart 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.(John 12:27)

The concerning passage is called ” Prayer in Gethsemane.” The phrase “My heart is troubled” reveals Jesus’ normal fear state as a living creature. And he tells the emotion to the Father God just as it is. Now let us see the description of the scene in Mark ;- “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."(Mark 14:36)

John interpreted expression by Mark into this ;- “Father, glorify your name!"(John 12:28)

John’s message is that Jesus are ready to bear pain and suffering because they were according to God’s will .

That stance is very important for our prayers too. Very often we pray for release from physical or mental pains or material difficulties. However, if we pray only to obtain such a result God might not listen to us. Because the real problem is not difficulty of life itself. The matter which is the most serious is the fact that we are spiritually crushed under weight of earthy burdens.

Once we get ready to accept God’s will as a trial and begin to pray for spiritual healing, not earthy solutions, God should listen to us. Then we will have peace in mind even bearing pains.

Exactly God did so to Jesus;-Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” (John 12:28 second part)

The voice gave Jesus divine power which allowed him to perform miracles. Thus he could open the blind’s eyes and the deaf’’s ears. Even Lazarus, once dead, was brought back to life through Jesus’ power. This way God have already glorified Jesus. And God will glorify him again with incomparable glory, the Resurrection after the death on the Cross.

And Jesus predict this;- When I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”

Only after the Cross, the Resurrection and the Ascension the new life is given.

3. Not Psuche but Zoe

We chose John 3:3 for today’s invocation versee;- In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
The portion was also the theme of last Sunday, concerning the discussion between Jesus and Nicodemus, a man of the Pharisees and a member of the Jewish ruling council. Despite the privileged living conditions Nicodemus’ mind was not tranquil and he was seeking a way to God. Therefore he came to see Jesus who was showing miraculous power to the public. However Nicodemus didn’t want his visit to be known by public. Therefore he chose the night to come. He might thought it was not appropriate for a highly ranked person like him to ask advice to Jesus, a young traveling preacher. Jesus then got immediately the insight into Nicodemus’ mind, which was not yet free from social and earthy reputations. Thus Jesus said to him that no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. But Nicodemus couldn’t understand the meaning so ;- “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!"(John 3:4)

Whereas Jesus talked about the new birth by Spirit, Nicodemus mistook it for physical one. Jesus tried to explain to a greater extent. ;- Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. (John 3:5-6)

“To be born of water and the Spirit” gives a physical life, which should end with death. In contrast to that, the salvation, or a new life of the Spirit, must be in Zoe, accorded by God. And to arrive to be born again of the Spirit we must at first die in the earthy life, Jesus says.

I think many of you remember the incident of Japan Airlines Flight 351, hijacked by nine members of the Japanese Communist League-Red Army Faction on March 1970. Dr. Hinohara, the president and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the hospital was one of hostages of hijackers. He was brought to Pyongyang with other passengers. At that time one of kidnappers accorded to the seized some Japanese books. Dr. Hinohara found among those books ” The Brothers Karamazov” and read it. This way encountered John 12:24-25 , which is the beginning phrase of the work. At that moment he decided to dedicate his life for others’ sake if he could return home alive despite such a menacing and crucial situation. Afterwards when Dr. Honohara was freed he commenced a new life as he chosen through John’s verses. We might say that he died then in earthy death and was anew born of the Sprit.

Secular common sense won’t consider the Passion and the Cross to be signs of glory. Indeed, the notion of ” glory” is very often represented with to great winners of sportive competitions or historical heros, for example.
But those who wan those earthy honor, like Alexander the Great or Napoleon or other conquerors, could not maintain their empire forever. Because they established kingdom of earthy power. In fact, it is reported that very Napoleon praised magnificence of Jesus’ power by saying ” nobody will die for me but so many humans were dedicating their life to Jesus for almost 2000 years.” He was rhight, and it is because Jesus built the kingdom of love by sacrificing his won life on the Cross. We must ask ourselves now which way of living we should seek, Jesus’ one or that of earthy ambitions.

On the occasion of Easter celebration we will perform a play based on ” Crime and Punishment” by Dostoevsky. The story is about a man who, in order to clim up social ladder, killed a old woman. After the crime, by encountering a faithful girl, he repented and saved by Jesus’ love . Preparing the play during Lent, we reflect on our way to live ,” Following in Jesus’ footsteps or seeking social success? ”
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notes
* History of Israel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel#Early_roots
Seleucid dynasty http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seleucid_dynasty
** Hijack of Yodo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Airlines_Flight_351

** Alexander the Great http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great
Napoleon I http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon