All men are drawn to Christ

Pastor Carol Grace ♦ May 19, 2010 ♦ 1 Comment

Jesus Predicts His Death
John 12:20Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. 21They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
23Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
27″Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
30Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” 33He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
34The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ[f] will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
35Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. 36Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

Have you noticed there are some people who seem to know the reason they were born from the time they were small children? Then, there are those who more or less fall into the path they take on this earth. Jesus is one of those who knew His destiny early on. I often wonder just when Jesus became aware of who is was and what he would have to do. I imagine by the time he was twelve and teaching in the temple God’s plan had been revealed to him.

Jesus knew the reason he left his throne in heaven–he knew the life he would live, the friends he would make, the disciples who would follow, and those who would not. And now, as he neared his death, he knew the agony that would soon be his, but the glory that would be his Father’s. May we continue to glorify the Father and the Son by seeking holiness and turning away from the darkness, and into the glorious light.

Two hundred feet ahead

Ribbon of road stretches
toward tomorrow, night
looms larger, vision
impaired, but car
lights illumine
the path
before me, and
I can see clearly
two hundred feet ahead.

Ribbon of life stretches
toward the unknown,
precarious, ever
changing, vision
impaired, but
God delivers
me through
the dark shadows,
for He can see clearly
the pitfalls ahead.

If I can depend on car
lights to transport me
over potholes and around
the next bend, how much more
can I depend on my Savior,
whose vision is limitless
whose love never ends.

God is always with me
of that I am sure,
the need to know
unimportant,
the need to see,
petty somehow, faith’s
headlights shine the way
before me, and I am
two hundred feet closer now.