害怕死去的麥子
耶穌面前的選擇
經文
約翰福音十二20-36
20那時，上來過節禮拜的人中，有幾個希利尼人。
21他們來見加利利伯賽大的腓力，求他說：先生，我們願意見耶穌。
22腓力去告訴安得烈，安得烈同腓力去告訴耶穌。
23耶穌說：人子得榮耀的時候到了。
24我實實在在的告訴你們，一粒麥子不落在地裡死了，仍舊是一粒，若是死了，就結出許多子粒來。
25愛惜自己生命的，就失喪生命；在這世上恨惡自己生命的，就要保守生命到永生。
26若有人服事我，就當跟從我；我在那裡，服事我的人也要在那裡；若有人服事我，我父必尊重他。
27我現在心裡憂愁，我說甚麼才好呢？父阿，救我脫離這時候；但我原是為這時候來的。
28父阿，願你榮耀你的名！當時就有聲音從天上來，說：我已經榮耀了我的名，還要再榮耀。
29站在旁邊的眾人聽見，就說：打雷了。還有人說：有天使對他說話。
30耶穌說：這聲音不是為我，是為你們來的。
31現在這世界受審判，這世界的王要被趕出去。
32我若從地上被舉起來，就要吸引萬人來歸我。
33耶穌這話原是指著自己將要怎樣死說的。
34眾人回答說：我們聽見律法上有話說，基督是永存的，你怎麼說人子必須被舉起來呢？這人子是誰呢？
35耶穌對他們說：光在你們中間還有不多的時候，應當趁著有光行走，免得黑暗臨到你們；那在黑暗裡行走的，不知道往何處去。
36你們應當趁著有光，信從這光，使你們成為光明之子。耶穌說了這話，就離開他們隱藏了。
信息分享
明白了「生命之先總有死亡」這個原則以後，讓我們再次來聚焦在這題目上：希臘人（即聖經所說的希利尼人）來見耶穌。
我十分相信許多解經家忽略了這個事件。我們一般只是隨便的讀一讀第21 節：「先生，我們願意見耶穌」（21節），然後就越過去。可是我認為這是主耶穌的生命中最重要的事情之一，它的重要性可以說僅次於祂在曠野承受試探。從幾個方面來看，它其實比曠野的經驗更深刻，因為曠野所代表的是事奉剛開始時的試探，而希臘人的到訪則代表人在接近終結時的試探。
當一個人越接近目標的時候，一些引誘他妥協或行走較容易的道路的試探往往會更激烈。正如在曠野的試探，是一道要把耶穌帶去走另一條路的力量，在這裡我們也看到類似的情況。我曾經說過，我們不能完全肯定希臘人的到來是否想要邀請基督去雅典，但重要的是他們的來臨令耶穌陷入一種屬靈的危機中。我們可以做這麼一個假設，放在耶穌面前的問題是一個選擇：到雅典去得到接納還是留在耶路撒冷遭受拒絕？是要坐上哲學家的教席呢，還是要背上殘酷的十字架？作為主耶穌的追隨者我們也會面對相似的問題。我們應當走十字架的道路，還是走群眾的道路？
「我們走十字架的路，還是走群眾的路？」
進深研究
西一1-29；詩四十五11；申五7，六13-15
1. 撒但試探耶穌的目的是甚麼？
2. 基督透過戰勝了撒但而實現甚麼？
祈禱
天父，我決定要行走您的道路。求您幫助我站到您的一邊，為了您，我願意對抗所有與您敵對的事情。奉耶穌的名祈求，阿們。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
A second look
Bible reading:
John 12:20-36
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[a] 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.
Message
Having experienced the principle that life is always preceded by death, we return now to focus again on the incident which launched us into this study - the coming of the Greeks to Jesus.
I firmly believe that this incident has been greatly overlooked by Bible expositors and commentators. We usually take the text, "Sir, we would like to see Jesus" (v.21), and leave it at that. But this is one of the most momentous events in the life of our Lord - an event that is next in importance, in my judgement, to His temptation in the wilderness. In many ways, it was more subtle than the wilderness experience, for the wilderness represents the temptation that comes at the beginning of one's ministry, while the coming of the Greeks represents the temptation that comes as one gets close to the end.
It is often as one gets close to one's goal that the temptation to compromise, or to take an easier way becomes more acute. Just as, in the desert, there was a pull to get Jesus to take another way, so here we see a similar situation. As I said at the beginning of our study, we cannot be at all sure that the Greeks arrived with the intention of enticing Christ to come to Athens, but it is significant that their arrival threw Him into a spiritual crisis. Assuming that to be so, the issue before Him was acceptance in Athens or rejection in Jerusalem. A philosopher's chair, or a grisly cross. A similar issue confronts those of us who are His followers. Do we go the way of the cross, or do we go the way of the crowds?
"Do we go the way of the cross or the crowd?"
Prayer
Father, my mind is made up - I want to go Your way. Help me to come out clearly on Your side - for You and against everything that is against You. This I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Further study
Colossians 1:1-29
Psalm 45:11
Deuteronomy 5:7; 6:13-15
1.What was Satan's aim in tempting Jesus?
2. What did Christ accomplish through overcoming him?
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