What is your greatest aspiration in life? It is probably what you think about the most. It may be treasuring our family - something all of us should do. It may be whatever version of success we are shooting for. For some, it is the pursuit of meaning through all kinds of various avenues that span the healthy and sometimes the unhealthy. All of us are searching for something and that something becomes our aspiration. Our goal. It becomes our focus.
As we have seen repeatedly in this Lent Series, Jesus had a way of turning conventional wisdom on its head. And on this question of life aspiration He does it again. In fact, He says that if you love this life you will lose it but if you hate your life in this world they will keep it for eternal life. So much for our aspirations, but let's look more closely at a conversation Jesus had after he came into Jerusalem on the week before His crucifixion. It is found in John 12:20-28.
Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 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. 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!”
What did Jesus' words have to do with the Greeks who came to the disciples and asked to see Jesus? These Greeks wanted to get close to Jesus. Many wanted to get close to Jesus. He was a popular guy, especially as He healed and taught in parables. Lots of people like to get close to Jesus. We want all the advantages that He brings. We want His blessing and often we don’t know what we are actually asking, just as these Greeks didn’t know what they were asking.
Let me tell you what it means to be close to me He says. In fact, the hour has come for me to be glorified. I tell you that “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. He is here predicting His coming death. But He goes on to say that “Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
If your aspirations are anchored in this world and this life says Jesus you will lose your life. This world is lost and the aspirations that are focused on this life are not about life. It is a fallen world and its focuses are sinful rather than righteous. But if you love me and my kingdom and my values and my work as the goal of your life, then you will also experience eternal life. In fact, He is saying that just as I will die, you too must die to the values and focuses of this world. In fact, whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”
If you want to be near me. If you really want to know me. Then you need to follow me and part of that following is dying to all the sinful ways of this world and becoming alive to the life that I give. This is called the cruciform life. A cruciform is something in the shape of a cross and following Jesus means that we embrace the cross in our own lives. The cross is a symbol of death and there is no life in Jesus without a death to self and a transfer of the leadership of our lives from ourselves to Him. With that transfer we learn to embrace His cruciform life, centered on the cross and the life that He gives to us.
This is why those who follow Him look so different from those who don’t. They have embraced Him and in doing so have embraced our own death to self to be made alive in Him. The cruciform life.
Then Jesus makes this amazing statement. “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.” Knowing the cost of the cross where He took on Himself every sin you and I have ever committed” He is deeply troubled. But rather than run from His cruciform assignment he says, “Father, glorify your name.”
Jesus is declaring that His sole aspiration in life is to glorify the name of the Father. It was all about the Father. That was his aspiration even knowing what the cost would be. It was a kingdom aspiration not an aspiration of this world. It looked forward to eternity rather than being planted in this world. Whatever would glorify the father, He was in. This is the cruciform life. This is the vision and aspiration that Jesus calls us to. This is what it means to know Jesus and to love Him and this is when we experience life that is truly life.
So we come back to the original question. What is your aspiration in life? What drives you? What are you willing to give in order to join Jesus in a cruciform life? Remember the words of Jesus: “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.” But then these words. “My Father will honor the one who serves me.”
Father, I don’t like death to self but I want to follow you. Where you go, I want to go. Where you are I want to be. Help me to live the cruciform life. Glorify your name through me! Amen
Question for Today: Is my goal in life to live the cruciform life and glorify the name of the Father?
