Back in John's Gospel, chapter
12, at verse 20, we read these words, and there were certain
Greeks among them, that is, among the Jews, multitudes that had
come up to Jerusalem for the Passover. And among them were
these Greeks, Gentiles, that came up to worship at the feast. There was a court of the Gentiles
at the temple. That's the only place they were
allowed to go in. But verse 21, the same came therefore to Philip
with this request. Sir, we would see Jesus. We would see Jesus. Now I, in
preparing this message, read a whole lot of which I consider to be speculation
as to who these Greeks, these Gentiles were, what they meant,
why did they desire to see Jesus? We read in the reading some just
came just to see Lazarus because Christ had raised him from the
dead. We're not really told, we can't, I can't be dogmatic
as to what their motive was, what they really meant. These
are questions that we just really can't answer. Like Zacchaeus,
perhaps they were influenced by curiosity. A lot of the folks
were. Like the wise men from the east,
they may have surmised that Jesus was the promised king, which
they had just heard people singing. Hosanna, blessed he's that cometh
in the name of the Lord. Perhaps they join in the song. But the words here, their request,
regardless of what their motive was, oh, what a blessed, blessed
request it is. Sirs, we would see Jesus. I hope we've come here with a
true heart's desire, a need. I feel a need. to see Jesus. Do you, Billy? I feel a need
to see Him afresh again. I want to bow down. I want to worship. I don't want
to just take up time. I just don't want to go through
the motions. Oh, we would see Jesus. Let's
pray. Pray that God would allow us
to do that. Again, in the preparation of the message, I read this by
Brother Don Fortner. It was an introduction to a message
that he preached. And he said concerning this text
of scripture, one of the very first times he said that I stood
behind the pulpit, there was something before my eyes which
made the burden, the burden of preaching, far greater than I
had realized before. I was preaching for Brother Herbert
Wilson, at Rosemont Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
I was just a boy, 19 years old. But I saw something I had never
forgotten. I tried to remember it and picture
it every time I prepared to preach. Right across the top of the pulpit,
only Don could see it, there was a short strip of green tape
with those words punched on it, Sir, we would see Jesus. And Don says every time he preaches,
he prays that God would allow him and those to whom he ministers
to do that very thing. Again, on this occasion that
these Greeks made this request, it was the time of the Passover
in Jerusalem. This feast lasted for a week. It was one of the great important
holy days which God commanded the Jews to keep every year.
It was, as we said, a week-long festival and it climaxed with
the Passover, the slaying of the Paschal Lamb. Jews from everywhere
would come to Jerusalem for this feast and among the Jews there
was a large multitude of proselytes, perhaps, or these Gentile believers
were perhaps proselytes. We said, we read there in verse
20 that they came up, they came up to worship at the feast. Perhaps
the men, perhaps These men mentioned in this verse were Greeks who
had turned from their heathen idols. We don't know for sure. And were seeking the knowledge
of the one true and living God. I hope so. Hope so. And Jesus
answered. Look at verse 23 there. Here's
his response. First they come to Philip. Philip
comes to Andrew. Maybe they discuss it. Should
we even tell him? I mean, after all, perhaps they
thought that is Philip and Andrew. He's already stirred up a hornet's
nest. If he's seen mingling with Gentiles,
these Greeks, these dogs, I mean he himself told us on another
occasion he was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel and if the Pharisees, the priests see him mingling
with Gentiles, it'll be even worse. I don't know, perhaps
they wondered about things like that. But they come to They come
to him with the request, and look at Jesus' answer, verse
23. He says, the hour has come that
the Son of Man should be glorified. Now, when I first see that, read
it, I think, that just doesn't seem to fit, does it? I mean,
they come with the request, we would see Jesus, and his answer
to them is, the hour has come that the Son of Man should be
glorified. It seems at first like he just ignored them. But
he didn't. It would seem that the Lord Jesus
really didn't reveal to them or his disciples, whoever these
Greeks were, he really didn't give them an audience. But he
most certainly declared this. Answering his disciples, answering
these Greeks, answering Jew and Gentile, his answer was this.
He declared that the only way Any man, Jew or Greek, can really
approach Him, be accepted, and see His glory as if for the Son
of Man to be glorified. And then in verse 24 he explains
to us what he means by that. He must die. He must rise from
the dead. He must ascend to heaven and
be the mediator between God and man. The gospel will be preached
to Gentiles as well as the Jews. After he rose from the dead,
he said, go into all the world and preach the gospel to every
creature. Other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them
also I must bring. The Gentiles must see him as
the redeemer of sinners, not as the curious multitude saw
him, the Jewish king, the Jewish messiah. If these Gentiles like
many of the Jews, thought to see a king like the kings of
this world, man, were they sadly disappointed. And they were very
much mistaken. Our Lord would have them know
that he came to carry a cross, not to wear a crown. He came
not to live a life of honor and ease and pomp and magnificence. He came to die a shameful, dishonorable
death. The kingdom he came to set up
was to begin with the crucifixion, not a coronation. Its glory was to take its rise
not from victories won by the sword, but from the death of
its king. Oh, how different, how vastly
different than that was from Caesar, for example. And then,
verse 24, this is our text. Look at it again. Verily, verily,
truly, truly, is what he said. You can take this to the bank.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn or a grain of wheat
fall into the ground and die, it abides alone. Oh, but if it
die, without question, without doubt, if it die, it bringeth
forth much fruit. A single grain, but much fruit. The seed and to harvest life
by his death. That's exactly what he's saying. I love what a master preacher
our Lord was. He was the prince of preachers.
I mean, he took just everyday things, common things. I mean,
was there anybody that heard these words that didn't understand
what he meant as far as the metaphor that he used, the similitude
that he used? A grain of wheat? Man, there
must have been plenty of farmers that heard. He'd speak about
fishing. But, come, I'll make you fishers
of men, he told Peter and Andrew James and John on that occasion
when he first called them. But he wants them to consider
just ordinary farming. The grain of wheat must first
be buried and lose its life before it can spring up again and bear
fruit. And he says that's exactly the
case with the Son of Man. That's my case. He must be crucified
for sin. He must be buried and rise again
that the law might be honored and the justice of God might
be satisfied. If he does not, and that's what
he said himself, didn't he, in the second part of the verse.
If he doesn't do that, like that grain of wheat, he abides alone
with no people, no fruit, Without the shedding of his blood, there
is no remission of sin. Now, very briefly, just a sidebar,
so to speak, verses 25 and 26, he makes application of what
he said to every believer. Yes, only Christ can put away
sin, but he says, if any man, on another occasion, he said,
if any man desires to be my disciple, he's got to deny himself. and
take up his cross and follow me. If he doesn't do that, he
can't be my disciple. Now, the religious day in which
we live Most people will say, yes, you can do that. You can
just make a decision for Jesus and just go out and live like
the devil. Just live the same old, same
old. You'll be OK, but you're going
to lose some reward. Jesus said, no, no, no, no. If
you live a rebel against God, you don't know God. People who
have never bowed to Jesus Christ are not going to lose some reward.
They're going to be cast into hell. And the Lord says here
in verses 25 and 26, if we hold to and protect and shield this
life from being crucified and buried with Christ, if we refuse
to be identified with him and his truth and his gospel and
suffer for the gospel as many have done, if we like to farm
by faith, if we cast that seed in the ground, we cast our lives,
our hope, our future with Christ and to Christ and for Christ.
He said, you're going to live forever. God's going to honor
you. Again, concerning himself, that
grain of wheat. If he does not die, he abides
alone with no people, no fruit. That's what he said. Without
his blood, again, there is no remission. And our Lord said,
the hour, verse 23, the hour for that very thing had come. The hour has come that the Son
of Man should be glorified. My soul, what an hour that was. What an hour that was. He speaks
of what would soon happen in just a matter of a few days,
when he would lay down his life for his sheep. Verse 27, now
is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father saved me
from this hour? Oh no. But for this cause came
on to this hour. This hour was ordained for this
cause. What an hour. What a cause. Nothing, nothing ever took place
prior to this or since this. The eagle to have the consequence
to be as important as what took place this hour. The prophet
Zacharias said this, God speaking through the prophets said, I
will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. Wow! I declare that's a mouthful. I will remove the iniquity of
that land in one day. How is that possible? How will
he do that which hundreds of years of animal sacrifices never
could do? And he's going to do it in that
hour? That day? Isaiah chapter 53, verse 5, but
he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities,
the chastisement of our peace was upon him, that is Christ,
that grain of wheat, and with his stripes, nobody else's, we
are healed. Verse 11 of Isaiah 53, he shall
see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied by his knowledge,
Christ. shall my righteous servant justify
many, many. I wonder why he didn't say the
world. I wonder why he didn't say everybody. Because he said,
this blood of the New Testament, I give my life for ransom for
many. The many he died for are the
many that are justified. The many that he trod the winepress
alone for are the many, those whose iniquities he shed are
the ones that will be with him in glory. That's why the scriptures
are so specific about this. He shall justify many. Why? Based on what? How can God Almighty
justify a sinner? Because Jesus Christ, his son,
bore their iniquities. The prophet said it hundreds
and hundreds of years before. Oh, sirs, we would see Jesus. Oh, to see him as the Lamb of
God. To see Him as the Lamb of God,
to see this, the result of that grain of wheat falling into the
ground is this, Jeremiah 50, God speaking, verse 20, in those
days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel,
God's true Israel. Paul tells us who they are in
Romans 11. Jew and Gentile. God's Israel. They are not all
Israel that are called Israel. Oh, God's true Israel. The true
Jews, spiritual. In those days and in that time,
saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for
and there shall be none. There shall be none. Ah, so. Where did he go? Where did he
go? Jesus took it away. Jesus took
it away. He carried it away like the scapegoat
in the wilderness. And the sins of Judah, and they
shall not be found. Why? Because there are none to
find. For I will pardon them whom I
reserve. Another prophet, Micah, God speaks
through him and says, and thou will cast all their sins into
the depths of the sea. How about that? He will cast
all their sins into the depths of the sea. I heard of a preacher
who preached from that text one time and he said, yes, think
about that. God will cast all the sins of
his people into the depths of the sea and then he puts up a
sign that says no fishing allowed. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? Jesus says that hour to do that,
to accomplish that has come. Verse 1 of chapter 13, oh how
often and even So much as the time drew closer and closer,
did he speak of that hour? Verse 1 of 13, John 13, Now before
the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was
come, that he should depart out of this world unto the Father,
having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto
the end. John 17, verse 1. These words spake Jesus and left
it up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. The hour for which I came into
this world has come. The hour that I will trod the
winepress of the fierceness of your wrath has come. The hour has come, glorify thy
son, that thy son may also glorify thee. Consider, as our Lord said,
if that grain of wheat doesn't fall into the ground, he, yet
he, abideth alone. Had that hour not come, this
would be the result. Verily I say unto you, except
the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone. Think of that. It would be Christ
the firstborn, but no many brethren. It would be Christ the firstfruits,
but no, they that are Christ at his coming. There would be
none. Without the captain of their salvation being perfect,
made perfect through sufferings, there will be no bringing many
sons to glory. There will be no many sons. There
will be this. There will not be this, Christ
saying to his father, behold, that's it. Behold I, yes, but
not this and the children that thou hast given me. That brings
us to the second part of verse 24. Oh, here it is. But if it die, if it die, if
that grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it bring
us forth much fruit. There is life by his death. Oh,
precious, precious, glorious truth. What a comforting proclamation. There's no if about it. He did
die. He was made sin. He did trod
that winepress. He did bring in an everlasting
righteousness. He did lay down his life for
us. Jesus Christ laid down his life
for his sheep. Jesus Christ did suffer in the
room and the stead of his people. Listen to what one example of
that fruit says. Here's a good commentary on what
our Lord said. Paul in Galatians chapter 2 verse
20, I'm crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, but not
I, but Christ liveth in me. How about that? It bringeth forth
much fruit. Christ liveth in me, and the
life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith, not
my faith, but the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave
himself for me. Oh, glorious truth. Did you know
that there have been men theologians, and I use that word not in a
good sense, those theologians who think they're smarter than
God. You ever had the misfortune of being in the presence of any
of those? I have. But There have been those
who call themselves theologians who have debated, written books
even, whether God could have forgiven a sinner, saved sinners,
another way other than by the death of his son. They debate
that. What a waste of time. How stupid,
how foolish. Listen. Matthew chapter 26, even
closer to that hour that our Lord speaks of in our text, Matthew
26 verse 39. And he went a little further
and fell on his face and prayed saying, oh my father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from me. Oh, the shadow of the cross. Oh, he was so near it now, so
near that time when he would be forsaken by God, when God
would forsake God. Now who can explain that? And
the shadow of the cross was already falling, the shadow of it, over
his holy soul. And he said, Father, if it's
possible, let this cup pass from me. But he didn't stop there,
did he? Nevertheless, not as I will,
but as thou wilt. Verse 42 of the same chapter,
Matthew 26, He went away again the second time. We didn't read
it, but between these times He rose up and went to the disciples,
the three that went with Him, nearer to this place, Peter, James, and John. It was
if His Holy Soul was seeking some companionship, And he comes,
and they're asleep. He's alone. He's alone. Could you not watch with me one
hour? And he goes back again. The second
time they prayed, saying, oh, Father, if this cup may not pass
away from me except I drink it, thy will be done. As we read
in John 12, Father, glorify thy name. Then he goes back a third
time. He leaves the disciples and went
away again and prayed the third time saying the same words. If there was some other way for
God Almighty to save sinners, right then it would have been
identified. It wasn't. It was impossible. Other than the death of Jesus
Christ, there is no other way for God to be just and justify
a sinner. God must be just. God doesn't
set aside his justice. God doesn't change his character.
God doesn't cease to be God when he saves a sinner. He does it
honorably. He does it justly. When God justifies
a sinner, he's just in doing so. He should justify that sinner. Why? Because Jesus Christ bore
their sins. God must be just and justify
the sinner with his justice being satisfied first. And it was. And only Jesus Christ could do
that. Only Jesus Christ could satisfy
God. We read about them hearing a
voice. God spoke when the Lord said,
glorify thy name. And God said, I've glorified
it and I'll glorify it again. He glorified it at the Jordan
River that day. When Christ came to be baptized,
he spoke from heaven, didn't he? He spoke to him again on
the Mount of Transfiguration. He stopped glorifying it. And
now he speaks and says, I'll glorify it again. Oh, in glory
to his name, the Son of God, that precious grain of wheat,
Jesus Christ himself, It wasn't a doctrine that hung on the cross. Man, I hear people argue about
this and that, the atonement, the redemption, and it's just
words, just words. Paul said, He loved me. He loved me. He gave himself
for me. He suffered. He died. He bore my sins. He was made
sin. He gave himself for me. He died
so that I might live. He cried out. It wasn't a word,
it wasn't a doctrine from some dry, dusty book. It was the Son
of God himself that cried out, oh my God, you've forsaken me. He took that cup from his father's
hand, and glory to his name, He drank damnation dry. That cup that he said, Father,
if it's possible, let it pass from me on the cross, he took
that cup and he drank damnation dry. And he did it for his people
so that now his people can say, my cup runneth over. Oh, there's
no wrath in my cup. No, it's a cup full of grace,
full of truth, full of mercy, and it'll follow me all the days
of my life. His death will produce much fruit
from every tribe, from every kindred, and every nation. What
a blessed discourse we have of our Lord in these few verses. He seems to, at this time, the
hour being so near, He sees the whole scope. comes into view
of what he's about to do, what he's about to accomplish. And
he goes forth knowing all things that should come upon him. We
read in John 18, knowing all things that should come upon
him, he goes forth. You're mine. You're mine. Take
me. Take me. I'm not trying to hide. I'm not trying to escape. Here
I am. He went to that place Judas knew where he would be. Judas
was familiar with that place. He went to the Garden of Gethsemane
because he knew that's where the Lord would be. And when he
brought that mob, Jesus steps out and says, here I am. You
found me. Take me. But you got to let Larry Chris
go. If you take me, you can't have
him. Oh, the triumphs of the Son of God incarnate at that
time far exceed all the miracles of His former glory. Doesn't
it? Christ on the cross, oh, glorifies
God, glorifies Himself, and His death as our substitute than
anything He ever did before. It far exceeded all the miracles. Nothing compares to this. It
was by his death that Jesus conquered death. Sin, death and hell and
the grave were overcome. The Lord entered their territories
and he destroyed their empire forever. Jesus therefore that
pure single grain of wheat falls into the ground and by dying
brings forth much fruit, a complete harvest. A complete harvest of
every individual which were his seeds from all eternity. and
will finally, by his grace, gather them in into the garner of heaven. Father, Father, I will also that
those whom thou hast given me, those whom I'm about to die for,
be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory. Now I ask
you, who's going to hold them back? All my sheep, hear my voice,
and they follow me. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. They'll come in time, being granted
faith and repentance and life in Christ. And they'll come in
eternity, where they shall behold His face. Oh yes, Father, I want
them with me where I am. His death, like a grain of seed. was to be the root of blessing
and mercy for countless millions of immortal souls. You know,
when it slips out, it has a way of slipping out. That you believe
election. Y'all have had this happen. You
know, in our day, most Baptist churches, rather you say a cuss
word than say election. Ooh, election, election. I can't
stand that. Oh, you believe one or two will
be saved. You ever been accused of that? Unlucky. Yo, you just
think you and maybe one other person gonna be saved. Oh, no,
no, no. No, I believe there will be a multitude. I believe the
blood of Jesus Christ cleansed the sins of a multitude. Millions upon millions upon millions. John said, I saw them, and I
couldn't number them. I couldn't number them. Who are
these, John? Oh, these are those who have
washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. These are
those who came out of great tribulation, glory to His name, and now they're
before the throne of God. And He shall dwell among them.
He'll walk. He'll walk among them. And God Himself is going
to wipe every tear from their eyes.
I know some of you weep. We all weep. Some of you have
shared things with me that make you weep. And when you've done it, and
I think about you, and I try to take you before the throne
of grace, and my heart breaks for you. My soul, what can I do? What
can I do? I can rebudge you. And pretty
soon, God Almighty is going to wipe every tear away. Whatever
causes you to cry, it won't be in heaven. There'll be no reason
to weep in heaven, because God himself shall wipe all tears
from their eyes. Brother Henry Mahan said this,
He said that God is able in His mercy, grace, and wisdom to make
a way for our sins to be laid on a substitute and the guilty
sinner to go free is the greatest glory of His nature that He has
seen fit to reveal. Think about that. No wonder Paul
said, Oh, the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge
of God, how unsearchable are His riches, or his judgments,
rather, and his ways past finding out. Now with that corn of wheat
falling into the ground and dying, it produces a great harvest. Was it last Sunday, Billy, or
a couple weeks ago, you asked me, I put out some tomato plants,
that's what I'm getting at. And Billy asked me about them
last summer. Man, they look, I just, I finally
just mowed over them. No sooner it seemed than a little
tomato pop out, the bugs would be all over it. And I said, this
is not worth the trouble. And Billy had a garden when I
was visiting him that day. It looked good that summer. And
Billy asked me, he said, Larry, are you going to have a garden
this year? He called it a garden that had
poor tomato plants. I said, no, Billy, what about
you? He said, nope, I'm not going to fool with one this year. It
just brought such a poor return It's just not worth the trouble. Concerning this, this garden
of grace produced by that single grain of wheat falling into the
ground, that'll never happen. It produces. It accomplishes. It obtains. It can never be in
vain. I know we use this verse of scripture
in the Psalms, Psalm 126, applying it to witnessing for Christ and
preaching and so forth. And that's okay. It would apply
there. But it applies first and foremost
to Jesus Christ. He that goeth forth weeping,
bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaths, sheaths with him. Father. And it's going
to give him joy to say it. I and all the children that you
gave me, I lost none. It bringeth forth much fruit. Yes, it pleased the Lord to bruise
him. He hath put him to grief. When thou shalt make his soul
an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. It bringeth forth
much fruit. He shall prolong his days, and
the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Jesus Christ
is the firstborn among many brethren. Now is Christ risen from the
dead and become the first fruits of them that slept. He's the
first fruit of a mighty harvest. By his suffering, the captain
of our salvation will bring many sons to glory. And Christ will
say, behold, I and the children, God hath given me. And I looked,
Revelation 14 and 1, and I looked, and lo, a lamb stood on the mountain
Zion, and with him all is redeemed. Christ lost none. Christ is that
corn of wheat. Bread's made out of wheat, isn't
it? John 6, I am that bread of life. I am the living bread which
came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread,
he shall live forever. And the bread that I will give
is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. A
world of lost sinners, the world of his elect. Verily, verily,
I say unto you, except the corn of wheat fall into the ground
and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth
much fruit. O high King of heaven, my victory
won, may I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's sun. Heart
of my own heart, whatever befall, still be my vision. Oh, ruler
of all. I hope God's been pleased to
enable you to see Jesus. God bless you. Thank you for
your attention.