April. 3 - Giving up our old lives
Contributed by
Ani Tirtianto, a freshman chemistry major from Indonesia on Thursday April 03
Scripture
John 12:20-33
Jesus Predicts His Death
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." Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 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 man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his 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 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. Father, glorify your name!"
Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and
will glorify it again." The crowd that was there and
heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
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Devotion
The single kernel dying in order to bear many fruits, in verse 24, gives a picture of Jesus himself. He was the single kernel which died and produced may new kernels. He will die and His death will produce many new lives – new lives with God. Jesus knew that the only way to victory over humanity’s sins is through the cross. That’s why we have to set aside our old lives and bear the fruit of a new life.
Verse 25 tells us that if we want to be His followers, we have to hate our life. Jesus gave up His life. This doesn’t mean that we have to give up our lives to be His followers, but it means we have to give up what our old lives were. We have to start a new life, just like the new kernels which Jesus produced. This is the only way to serve our Lord, by being a new person.
What is it in our old life that holds us back from God’s grace? What is our cross that we have to take up to be His follower?
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