Bible Text: John 12:20-33 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes
This may be our 20th anniversary year but did you know that there is another institution or rather, event that next year will be celebrating its 30th anniversary. In 1986 Tim Horton’s began its “Roll Up the Rim” campaign. For 29 years, during the lenten season, we have been trying our luck with a cup of joe. And yes, did you realize that one reason why roll up the rim happens over lent is that two things people give up most is coffee and donuts and as a result the franchise needed to come up with a marketing campaign that would discourage people from giving those items up. At this time of year, we Canadians become more like our national animal than consumers of baked goods and caffeinated drinks because it demands that we act like beavers, using our teeth to break the tightly woven up paper lip of our cups. According to the cups there are millions of prizes. Did you know that in its inaugural year the biggest prize one could win was a snack box of timbits. Of course this competition is not without its controversies. It goes without saying that there is a severe problem with all those paper cups being disposed of and littering our roadsides. We can’t forget the time in 2006 when two families went to court over an SUV , valued at $32,000 when a little girl picked up the winning coffee cup from the garbage. When the little girl couldn’t roll up the rim she asked an older girl to help her and thus the court battle begun. Well, we are in the final days of this contests as it only runs until April 2, that’s right, right before Easter. It is your last chance to possibly win with a cup of coffee. I don’t know what it is about last chances, but often when we hear that it is our last chance for something our adrenaline kicks in. It’s quite a marketing trick. Who knows when the opportunity will arise again, if at all!
Today we hear Jesus’ last public discourse. Most of the observers likely had no idea that this was the last time Jesus would address a crowd. In fact, it was likely only Jesus who knew this. Who knew that he would not have another opportunity to preach and teach with such an audience. After this chapter in John Jesus will spend time in the upper room with his disciples. Certainly some of his best lessons are yet to come but they will only be shared with a select few they will not occur in a public arena.
Our passage begins with some Greeks wanting to approach and talk to Jesus. It may seem irrelevant to the story as even Jesus himself seems to ignore the request. But it is probably more telling than we realize. John’s gospel was written in a time and context in which the ties between those who follow Jesus and Judaism are being severed, and Jesus needs to appear to be responsive to the concerns of a broader world and people. The conversation that follows is in part a response to this request. If you wish to see Jesus, then this is what you will and must see and do.
This includes a concern as to why it is necessary for Jesus to be crucified in order to save humankind. The Gentile, or Greek, audience would not be burdened with the same expectations that made Peter, and others who believed Jesus to be the Messiah, reluctant to accept a suffering Messiah. As I have mentioned before they were reluctant to reconcile the humiliating death by crucifixion when they expected the Messiah to conquer the Romans not be defeated by them. This is not a concern shared by the Greeks who are living not so much in oppression as privilege and their religious context does not carry with it knowledge or need for a saviour. As a result Jesus needs to explain why his death is not only relevant to his Jewish followers but his Gentile ones as well. This passage is a reflection of some of the discussion from last week in when the Gospel frames the trial, torture, and crucifixion in terms of glorification rather than humiliation. For example, the agricultural metaphor of a seed being planted before it can grow and bear fruit is followed by a reminder that anyone who wishes to follow Jesus must also be ready to experience the “glory” of losing his or her life.
Jesus last public words also foreshadow his personal words to the disciples. The metaphor of bearing fruit will receive fuller treatment in the image of the vine and the branches in Chapter 15. But seeing as Jesus is currently speaking to a mixed crowd, perhaps his comment has less to do with the function of Jesus’ death as it does with the possibility of what the disciples and audience will do when Jesus is gone. In fact, Jesus tells them they will do more than they are doing now once Jesus is gone. So much of this last discourse from Jesus is about discipleship regardless of whether they are Jews or Gentiles. To serve Jesus is to follow Jesus and to follow Jesus is to do the works that he did, to feed and tend his sheep, to witness and testify on his behalf.
There are of course words of judgement in this text as well because this is the last time the public world will hear Jesus’ words. Karoline Lewis wrote a commentary on John and she writes, “To listen to Jesus is to believe in him and this for all intents and purposes, is the last chance. The ruler of this world will be cast out [This will begin in the next chapter with Judas’ betrayal]. This is another example by which to know that what Jesus says is true.” Although we seem to feel like he is focusing on his death , after all the subheading in the NRSV says, “Jesus Speaks About His Death”, in this case death and glorification are synonymous. Like last week we are faced with a bit of a paradox. Yes, Jesus’ death will be painful and humiliating but in John’s Gospel Jesus seems prepared for it. He knows this is all part of the plan. In death, God glorifies Jesus’ name. Similarly in the darkness of death there is light.
It is possible that Jesus is not concerned that the hour of death is coming because he does not cling to earthly existence. Perhaps that is the message from this passage for us today. We are distracted by marketing ploys, distracted by competitions, distracted by earthly things but Jesus tells us in order to have true life we need to turn away from those distractions. Jesus is calling us, his followers, to give up everything for his service. Whatever may bind us to this life, whatever we have grown to love, must be secondary to our desire to be with Christ. This is not just something we should apply to ourselves over this last week of Lent but they should have meaning throughout the church year and throughout our lives. We don’t want to miss our chance to hear God’s voice calling us to attention. Amen