The Hour Has Come!

A simple request leads to a momentous announcement:  That is what is before us in the gospel reading for the 5th Sunday in Lent in the Year of Mark, John 12:20-33.  Some Greeks come to Philip seeking Jesus.  They say, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."  At that, Jesus announces, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified."  It is as though that request triggered the entire sequence to follow, which will lead to the "lifting up" of the Son of Man from the earth.  Someone has said that history is made up of moments.  Here is such a moment.

(The following questions have been developed to explore questions of Law and Gospel preachers regarding the functioning of the Word.  These questions are not meant to be exhaustive.  For more on this unique genre of preaching, see my brief guide to Law and Gospel preaching, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from wipfandstock.com or amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  The Word functions primarily as Gospel here as Jesus announces in many and various ways the plan and effect of salvation:  "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified;" (23)  "...it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.  Father, glorify your name;" (28)  "Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.  And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." (31-32)  There are, however, also words reminding us of our need for a Savior:  "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain;  Those who love their life lose it..." (24-25)  These are words of Law.

2.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are the disciples, those who hear this word of the Gospel, this call to lose our life, and this exhortation to serve Christ.  We are also those who hear the thunder, the voice from heaven, that comes on our behalf.

3.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  There are several calls to obedience in this text.  We have a call to lose our life and also a call to be a servant of Christ who follows in the way of Christ.  These exhortations are a reminder that faith in Jesus means following in the way of Jesus.

4.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  A number of phrases in this text lead us to couplets that will be important for our sermon.  Some suggestions:  dying alone/dying and bearing much fruit; losing life/keeping life for eternal life; the ruler of this world in control/the ruler of this world driven out.

5.  Exegetical work:  As Raymond Brown points out in his classic commentary, the Lazurus miracle [in chapter 11] began a "chain reaction" toward Jesus' death. [His enemies are determined to rid themselves of him].  Now the hour of the crucifixion had come...  The Lazurus miracle pointed to Jesus as resurrection and life (11:25), now begins the hour when Jesus will be "lifted up" in resurrection and draw all people to himself to give them life...  In Chapter 11-12 there were "universalistic references" to save Gentiles; now the Gentiles come to see Jesus.  "Truly this is a climactic scene."  (The Gospel According to John I-XII, p. 469).  References to "the hour coming" are common in John.  They begin in 2:4 when Jesus tells his mother that his hour has not yet come.   These references continue with the woman at the well in 4:23, the Pharisees in 5:25, and the attempted arrests in 7:30 and 8:20.  In each case, the text refers to "an hour" which is coming but which Jesus somehow knows has not yet arrived.  In this text the hour has arrived.  Paradoxically, what Jesus claims is about to happen is exactly the opposite of what seems to happen.  Jesus says that world is about to be judged; it seems that Jesus is the one who is judged.  Jesus says that "the ruler of this world will be driven out" and it is Jesus who is driven out.  Jesus says that "I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself," when what happens is that all people flee when Jesus is lifted up.  Once again we have before us the paradox that Jesus announces here, that only when the seed dies does it bear fruit.  Only in losing life do we gain it.  Only in hating life in this world do we keep it for eternal life.

6.  How does the Crossings Community model work with this text?  Picking up on the Greeks' request to "see Jesus," Timothy Hoyer shows how what we focus on determines our destiny.  We see all sorts of things that dazzle us and invite us to worship them.  Finally, they are our demise.  Only as we see Christ on the Cross do we find life.  See Hoyer's complete analysis at crossings.org/text-study.

Blessings on your proclamation!