READ SCRIPTURE (John 12:20-33)
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.
Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 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.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.
REFLECT ON THE READING
Things fall apart. People break their covenant with God. We sin. We die. But “come and see,” says the Gospel according to John. And with the Greeks and Philip and Andrew, here at the end of Lent in our homes, we do. We see the cross. That Jesus is lifted up is at the same time his death and his glorification. He is the falling seed that becomes a huge harvest. What we think is an awful death has become the center that draws all things and all people into a new unity in God as if God has married them in a new covenant. The sufferings of Christ have become the source of eternal salvation. In baptism we have been drawn into that salvation, marked with that cross, made part of that new covenant, made alive. In baptism, we have received the very Spirit poured out from Christ and we have been forgiven. Exactly in God’s forgiveness, all of us — least and greatest, wise and not so wise — come to know who God really is. Then we ourselves can learn to turn with forgiveness to our neighbors.
PRAY TOGETHER
O God, with steadfast love you draw us to yourself, and in mercy you receive our prayers. Strengthen us to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, that through life and death we may live in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
For additional readings and prayers visit ELCA’s Worship in the Home Blog