Death leads to life (John 12:20-36)

1. Jesus death leads to life

Jesus speaks of His impending death saying, 

‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.'




God is in control of 'the hour' of Jesus' death; His death has been a part of God's plan from eternity past and now the hour has finally come.

Jesus speaks of His death as bringing great victory – the multiplication of life,

'Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.'

Jesus' death leads to life. He came to die the death that we all face because of our sin. All who put their faith in His substitutionary death have eternal life.

2. Our death leads to life

Jesus also goes on to apply this to how we should live,

'Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.'

We are to follow Jesus' example of dying; we are to live such radical lives for God that it is a kind of death to ourselves; God, rather than ourselves, being the Lord of our lives.

Let's be clear, it is Jesus' death alone that saves us; but our new God-centred life is evidence that we have become Christians by the power of the Holy Spirit within us; Jesus is the 'grain of wheat that has fallen into the ground and died'; His death has alone has 'produced many seeds' – you and me! True seeds take on the likeness of the original, in other words, Christians are the kinds of people who, like Jesus, lay themselves down for God. 

Remember, there is the promise of great joy as we seek to die to ourselves and live for God, even the promise of the honour of God,

'My Father will honour the one who serves me.'

How might this death look each day?

• Regularly ask the Holy Spirit to highlight any areas of sin to which to need to die.
• As you read the bible, expect God to highlight things you need to stop or start doing.
• Think about the 'big three' money, sex and power; every Christian will struggle with these to different degrees. Are you dying to yourself and living for God in each of these areas?

You can listen to this message at,

Death leads to life (John 12:20-36)

Sign up for our free podcast here

Going deeper – Personal daily study notes on John 12:20-36

Monday: Jesus’ international mission

Read John 12:20-23 and Matthew 28:19-20. John tells us about the Greeks who are seeking Jesus in order to tell us of the international nature of Jesus’ mission. We will see in the book of Acts that the gospel starts in Jerusalem among Jews and then becomes international in its reach. Jesus is still on a mission to the ends of the earth!

Tuesday: The cross of glory

Read John 12:23, 28. The cross is presented as a moment of glory for Jesus. To be glorified is to be held in the highest esteem. How does the cross bring glory to Jesus?

‘True glory is to be seen, not in outward splendour, but in the lowliness with which the Son of God lived among us and suffered for us… it is the cross of shame that manifests the true glory’  (Leon Morris)

Wednesday: Following Jesus for good or bad

Read John 12:24-26. Christians are called to follow Jesus no matter what! Here, Jesus makes it clear that we will have to, like Christ, lay our lives down. This means a complete surrender of ourselves to God and putting others first in multiple ways; in seasons of persecution it can mean a literal laying our life down for Jesus.

Thursday: living for a reason

Read John 12:27 and Matthew 6:33. Greatness demands focus. If we live for everything, we will live for nothing! Jesus has the cross as the ultimate goal, the ‘reason’ of His earthly mission. What is your ‘reason’? Let God’s will be your ultimate, subsuming, focus. But don’t let it stay general; what are you called, specifically, to do?

Friday: Dealing with doubt

Read John 12:34. Many begin to doubt that Jesus is the Messiah because He tells them He is going to die. We will all be tempted to doubt Jesus at points. Doubts arise because we judge what God should be like, should have done etc. Faith in Jesus is the only remedy. Hold on to trust, and keep praying and reading the bible.

Saturday: The constant choice of Darkness and light

Read John 12:35-36. Jesus tells them to trust in the ‘light’ (Himself) whilst He is with them in the body. We will never see Jesus in the body this side of heaven, so what do these verses say to us? We see the light of Christ in the scriptures as they tell us what we need to know about Him. The Holy Spirit, as we read, gives a reality to the words and so we can know Jesus, the light of the world. However, there are times when God seems distant and the bible uninspiring. At such times we must continue to be faithful to walk in the light that we have, believing in the light over the darkness of our melancholy. 

Read More

Still excited about what the King might do ? or ! (John 12: 9-19)

Depiction of a Roman triumphus parade


STILL EXPECTANT OF WHAT THE KING MIGHT DO ?or !


The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem was the King coming to die!
The crowd was expecting some sort of overthrow of their Roman oppressors and the re-establishment of the glory of Israel; they were to be disappointed at what this king would actually do. 

A military triumph would have been quite something, but nothing that they, in their history, had not experienced; Jesus' death for our sin was something altogether unheard of - God dying for sinners! - and would lead to the ultimate victory over our sin, death and the devil. 

Jesus still has much to do in this world. The Triumphal entry shows us His commitment to saving many! 

so, are you, 

Still excited about what the King might do?

or,

Still excited about what the King might do!

Let Paul's faith speak into your spirit (speaking of the imagery of a Roman Triumphas parade, as the victorious army led a convoy of spoils and captives through the streets) 

'But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.' (2 Cor. 2:14) 

You can listen to this message at,

STILL EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THE KING MIGHT DO? OR ! (JOHN 12:9-19)

Sign up for our free podcast here

Going deeper – Personal daily study notes on 12:9-19

Monday: The victory of Jesus

Read John 12:9-13 and Revelation 7:9-12. Waving palm branches signifies a great victor and victory. Do you live with a sense of the sublime greatness of God; that He loves you and His church and is working out His victory in our lives and the world?

Tuesday: Blessed king

Read John 12:13. ‘Blessed’ speaks of heaven’s favour and joy over Jesus. He is beloved of heaven; when we worship Jesus, we are joining in heaven’s song. Let’s make worship a habit in our lives.

Wednesday: War to end all wars

Read John 12:14-15 and Zechariah 9:9-10. John quotes this Old Testament prophecy to show that Jesus is the promised Messiah. If you read that quote from Zechariah, you will see that the next verse speaks of the international peace and rule that will be brought about by King Jesus. On the cross He has fought a war on sin; and it is a war/victory that will end all war in the end.

Thursday: Spirit and truth

Read John 12:16 and John 16:12-13. Only after the disciples received the Holy Spirit did they understand what Jesus had done for them. The Holy Spirit has inspired the bible to be written (See 2 Timothy 3:16); He also inspires us as we read it. Make it a habit to pray for the Spirit’s grace each time to read the bible or pray for the preacher when they stand up to speak from the bible. 

Friday: You are a witness to the miracle

Read John 12:17-18. The crowd that saw Lazarus raised from death (John 11:38-46) were convinced that Jesus was the Saviour, King, the Messiah, and their enthusiasm could not be kept to themselves. When we are excited about something we have to share it! Are we sharing the good news about the miracle of the death and resurrection of Jesus? There are many ways of doing this but it starts with being astounded; pray that God would restore your joy in Jesus.

Saturday: Living with victory whilst being attacked

Read John 12:19. We have spoken a lot about victory this week. We will live in a restored world free from sin, suffering, death, and all that is opposed to King Jesus. This victory has been won through the death and resurrection of Christ and is assured to us because of His greatness and faithfulness.

But, this passage, as the entire book shows, that during this age their will be a range of responses to us and to Jesus: some will believe, some will be polite, some will be murderous!  Many in this adoring crowd will turn on Jesus and will call for His crucifixion, stay silent or run away. Their expectations of an immediate victory are wrong and they will not be prepared to live for Jesus in the face of opposition.

Let’s be those who are confident in the victor, confident of His final victory, although we may face disappointment and have to suffer before the end comes.

Read More

John 12:1-8. Going up to the next level in worshIp requires that we , 'RECEIVE OIL AND POUR IT OUT'

A week before Jesus’ betrayal, suffering and death, Mary (sister of Martha and Lazarus) carries out this incredible act of humble worship: she pours expensive perfume (worth more than an year’s wages!) on Jesus’ feet (washing feet was a servile role) and wipes it away with her hair (for a woman to have her hair down was very undignified).

Mary was filled with love for Christ. He had raised her brother from death and given her hope in this life and the next. For Mary it was an act of loving, humble gratitude; but it was also an act that was orchestrated by God to declare something monumental: Jesus says “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial” – it was an act of worship before His suffering and death.

Judas disingenuously complains, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?” He sounds very good, very spiritual, at the time he looking better than Mary! But it is Mary with her generous humble worship who is pleasing to Jesus.

Worship expresses the worth of something or someone. Mary was expressing something of the worth of Jesus. But this worship is something that has roots, her expression of generous worship is the result of what God has poured into her first. None of us can have a growing worship life if we are not allowing God to pour fresh oil into us.

What is the oil that God wants to pour into us?

1) Truth:  She had learnt from Jesus (Luke 10:38-42) how are you growing in biblical truth?

2) Gratitude: Mary was grateful at the raising of Lazarus, her brother. How is your thanksgiving?

3) A new attitude to wealth: John 12:7. Jesus makes it clear that this expensive perfume had been intended, by God, for this occasion. All that we have is a gift from Him and to be used  to serve Him. 

4) The gospel of grace: John 12:7-8 shows that she knew that Jesus was about to die. No doubt, as she sat at Jesus' feet, she He would have spoken about His death for sin. Meditating on the gospel of grace every day will cause us to overflow with worship. 

5) The Holy Spirit: Not specifically mentioned in this episode, but we need the Spirit's grace to grow in worship (see John 4:13-14)

"Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,  but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

So let's not be dry and empty! Let's be those who allow God to pour fresh oil into us so that we will pour out our lives in worship for Him. 

You can listen to this message at,

GET OIL AND POUR IT OUT (John 12:1-8)

Sign up for our free podcast here

Going deeper – Personal daily study notes on 12:1-8

Monday: Remember the miracles

Read John 12:1-2. This act of anointing Jesus with oil in partly inspired by her gratitude over the miracle of Lazarus. God has answered many prayers, provided in many ways, saved us from mistakes, taught us lessons, gave us new life in Christ… Let’s be generous with our thankfulness every day.

Spend some time in thanking God today for the various things that come to mind. Make it a plan to make gratitude a part of your everyday life.

Tuesday: Gratitude releases us to be generous

Read John 12:3. Mary’s act cost her a year’s wages and the security that she would of felt by having such an asset. When we recall God’s goodness, particularly as it is seen in the cross and our salvation by grace, we are released from fear; we begin to overflow with lavish worship and become generous in every area of our lives.

Spend time meditating on and thanking God out of Titus 3:4-5

Wednesday: Dealing with bad reactions

Read John 12:4-6. Sometimes people will misunderstand or react badly to our worship. A family member or a friend may see your generous worship, the giving of time, money, career prospects… as foolish or even dangerous.

Sometimes people, even loved ones, will react badly to your love for Jesus. Make it your aim to please Him.

Thursday: Let Jesus defend you

Read John 12:7. Jesus defends Mary. He is pleased with her, even if others are not.

Read what he says about her in Mark 14:6-9. What she did was beautiful and will be famous! Let’s serve God and leave our reputation with Jesus; be content to live for His pleasure.

Are you more focussed on people’s judgement of you than you are of God’s?

Friday: God has a plan for me and my stuff

Read John 12:7. Jesus makes it clear that this expensive perfume had been intended, by God, for this occasion. Sometimes we can be clear that God has a plan or our lives but fail to see that He also has a plan for our stuff! All that we have are gifts from Him, to serve His purposes.

Take a moment to rededicate yourself and all that you have to God.

Saturday: There are always too many important things to do

Read John 12:7-8. Serving the needs of the poor is very important; but at this point, it was important for Mary to be generous in her worship. There are many good things pulling for our limited time and resources. Try to do each important thing: working, resting, playing, romance, worship, serving the poor… with full attention, without guilt, serving God in each important thing in it’s turn.

Read More