This was the last sermon in the sermon series, "What I Need from My Church." It was also Christ the King Sunday, which made it appropriate to have the sermon focus on Christ. I love the power of Jesus' statement to Pilate: "For this I was born..." I also love the story of the Greeks seeking Jesus. If I preached it again, I would make more of the Greeks seeking, instead of just focusing on Philip and Andrew giving them Jesus. It would have fit with the idea that the world is seeking and the church is there to provide Christ, even if they do not know that is whom they are seeking.
The sermon finished with the choir singing, "Give Me Jesus." They were terrific, although I never found a great transition to them. Consequently, it felt like the anthem was more of an add-on than something to which the sermon naturally flowed. As the choir was singing, I thought about a sentence or to I could say to conclude the sermon, but chose (rightly, I think) to add no words from me and instead let the sung words stand as the final word.
“What I Need from My church: Jesus Christ” SAPC, Denton; November 14, 2021; Fall, 2021 series; John 12: 20-26; John 18:33-38
John 12 20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, 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. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever 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 soul 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. 28 Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
30 Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up[g] from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
34 The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
35 Then 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. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
Introduction: Last sermon of our preaching series, “What I need from my church. As appropriate for Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday in the liturgical calendar, we reflect on our need for Jesus.
Our need for the church to tell us, to show us, Jesus.
Move 1: “For this I was born, and for this I came into the world,”
a. Sounds like the words someone who just won an Academy Award might say in their acceptance speech.
1. Or words a Super Bowl MVP might say before heading off to Disney World.
2. Instead, these are the words Christ utters as he stands before Pilate being questioned.
3. “So you are the king of the Jews?” Pilate wants to know (ironically, Pilate seems to be affirming who Christ is with his question).
b. to which Jesus answers, “For this I was born…”
1. Born to live among us.
2. Born to live a sinless life.
3. Born to heal others.
4. Born to teach the crowds about God’s love and grace.
5. Born to perform miracles.
6. Born to be betrayed.
7. Born to die on the cross.
8. Born to be raised from the dead.
9. Born to save the world.
10. For this Christ was born - an intentional act of God for us.
Someone must tell the world.
Move 2: Andrew is at it again.
a. Greeks approach Phillip
1. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Older translations read, “Sir, we would see Jesus.”
2. Philip does not know what to do. Exciting time. Jesus has just ridden in Jerusalem.
Heady time. the crowds have announced to the world that Jesus is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
3. What do you do with some Greeks, some outsiders, who are looking for Jesus.
b. Philip takes them to Andrew.
1. Andrew, the disciple after whom this church is named is a fascinating guy.
1. He does not have to be the lead dog like his brother Peter.
2. he does not make bold statements about Jesus.
3. he does not deliver theological treatises like the apostle Paul will.
4. he hangs out in the background, probably mostly known as the brother of Peter.
b. But, he brings people to Jesus.
1. remember how his brother Peter finds Jesus?
2. Andrew is one of two who meet Jesus. He immediately goes to find his brother Peter and announces, “We have found the Messiah.”
3. When Philip arrives with the Greeks, Andrew again does nothing heroic.
he does not make a big scene.
No big speech.
he just introduces them to Jesus.
c. Behind the pulpit in the chapel at Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta, GA, there is a small sign. It is a brass plate with an inscription, quoting the New Testament lesson for today.
“Sir, we would see Jesus.”
Of course, seminaries have changed a great deal in the past few decades since that chapel was built, and the last time I was there, someone had scotched taped an appendix to that quote, so that the sign now read, “Sir, or madam, we would see Jesus.” (https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/we-would-see-jesus-w-pittendreigh-sermon-on-commitment-to-christ-48083?page=1)
1. Every time a seminarian aspiring to be a great preacher steps into that pulpit…
2. Every time a professor shares her wisdom in a sermon from that pulpit….
3. Every time a guest preacher, who may indeed be a great preacher….
4. Every time any of them step into the pulpit they see the words, “Sir, we would see Jesus” and they are reminded that the task of the one preaching God’s Word is help people see Jesus.
Someone must tell the world about Jesus.
Move 3: our task as we gather each week in worship; our tasks as we engage the world through our ministries; our task as we go into the world is to give the world Jesus.
a. “According to the early Christians, the church doesn't exist in order to provide a place where people can pursue their private spiritual agendas or develop their own spiritual potential.
Nor does it exist in order to provide a safe haven in which people can hide from the wicked world and ensure that they themselves arrive safely at an otherworldly destination.
Private spiritual growth and ultimate salvation come rather as the by-products of the main, central, overarching purpose for which God has called and is calling...that through the church God will announce to the wider world that God is indeed its wise, loving and just creation; that through Jesus he has defeated the powers that corrupt and enslave it; and that by God’s Spirit he is at work to heal and renew it” (203-204). N.T Wright, Simply Christian
1. In other words, give them Jesus.
2. Tell them, show them, invite them to know the one who saves them, who saves the world.
b. Show them Jesus who lives among us in the real world
1. Rev. Daniel Harrell tells the story of his childhood church going from a plastic baby Jesus to a live manger.
Having served a congregation for seventeen years that had a live nativity scene set up in the chancel each Christmas Eve with the most recently born baby in the congregation serving as baby Jesus, with mom and dad as Mary and Joseph and older siblings arranged as angels and shepherds around the baby, I can attest to why a plastic Jesus might make sense!
in Rev. Harrell’s congregation, they had 3 month-old Trevor play the live baby Jesus. He had an older sister named Mary, who was still adjusting to having a baby invade her world. She was angelic-looking standing there.
Then, as the choir sang, "No crying he makes," Trevor, as baby Jesus, let out a blood-curdling scream. Apparently, he didn't like the feel of the hay on him. His sister turned toward baby Jesus and shouted, "Shut up." the next year they went back to a baby doll for Jesus. Christian Century, December 11, 2013, Living the Word: Reflections on the Lectionary,." Daniel Harrell (17)
2. But we tell the world about Jesus who comes to live among and save shouting older siblings.
the Jesus who comes to a world that knows violence and bloodshed.
the Jesus who comes to walk with us through all our fears and shortcomings.
the Jesus who comes to us, even when we do not want him.
the Jesus who chooses to show his kingship by dying on the cross for people who betray him.
the Jesus who comes to love and redeem all of us.
Conclusion: someone needs to tell the world.
the church needs to give the world Jesus.
Choir sings “Give Me Jesus”
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