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MORNING MEDITATION
Glean the Word: John 12:20-33
Glimpse of Glory: "Now My heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I cam to this hour. Father, glorify Your name!" (John 12:27-28)
When Jesus was crucified on the cross, died, and was buried, the hope of the world was buried with Him as the stone was rolled in front of the tomb and sealed. It wasn't until three days later, on that glorious morning of the first day of the week, when the women arrived at the tomb and saw the stone rolled away and the empty grave, that the first signs of hope for the church where birthed (Luke 24:1-12).
"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."
(John 12:23-24)
In the tiny, seemingly insignificant example of the seed, Jesus relates a beautiful spiritual truth, as He predicts His death and challenges His followers to walk the path of the crucified life. For a small seed, when planted in the dark recesses of the cold earth, yields itself and dies, and through its' death fulfills its original purpose: which is to produce life. This is the example Jesus provided for the whole world as He laid down His life as a ransom for many, to be buried in the earth, only to rise three days later, and bear the fruit of eternal life to all who would come and eat the fruit of the tree He bled upon.
As we begin our 40 day journey (this is day 2, for we began our journey on Resurrection Sunday as a day of feasting and rejoicing - for our Savior lives!), we look to Jesus as the first fruit offering of the greater Harvest to come - for He alone takes preeminence. Jesus is the Savior of the world! No other seed could have suffered the cold, dark grave of the earth and die, only to bring forth the fruit of eternal life, other than the heavenly seed which is Christ Jesus. Out of His death, came the gift of life for many. The resurrection of Jesus Christ, like a shoot coming up from the earth, became the pledge of the full harvest to come. The coming of His glorious kingdom will mean restoration for all. May this be our united and unceasing prayer: "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10)!
"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit...
In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for all peoples;
the nations will rally to Him, and His place of rest will be glorious."
(Isaiah 11:1, 10)
As we pour out our hearts in prayer this morning may we lay ourselves on the altar of the Lord as an offering for His holy purposes to be fulfilled in and through us. May we declare our desire in this season of restoration to be for the deeper, abiding, and fruitful life that is ours only as we are willing to surrender our plans to take up the cross of Christ and follow Jesus in His sacrifice, so His greater kingdom purposes will be achieved - which is, above all, for the Glory of God! As we journey with our Lord these next 40 days and beyond, may He open our eyes to see beyond the cross to the glory that is to come! "Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness" (Psalm 115:1)
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