Lent 5 | John 12:20-33 (with Tom Gastil)

About this Episode

Opening Song:

O Lord, open our lips and our mouths will declare Your praise.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end,
Amen.

The Scripture for today is John 12:20-33.

Let’s prepare our hearts to hear from God’s word as we listen to Son of Suffering by Aaron Moses, David Funk, Matt Redman, and Nate Moore, sung by Jekalyn Car and the Mav City Gospel Choir. Jazz organ and unison ensemble singing immediately set the tone for this song. The passionate voices, inspired improvisations, and call-and-response motives are all characteristic of the gospel style and elicit a specific emotional response.
Lyrics:

Oh the perfect Son of God
In all His innocence
Here walking in the dirt with you and me
He knows what living is
He’s acquainted with our grief
A man of sorrows Son of suffering

Blood and tears how can it be
(That) there’s a God who weeps
There’s a God who bleeds
Oh praise the One
Who would reach for me
Hallelujah to the Son of suffering

Some imagine You are distant and removed
But You chased us down in merciful pursuit
To the sinner You were grace
And the broken You embraced
And in the end the proof is in Your wounds
Yes in the end the proof is in Your wounds

Your cross my freedom
Your stripes my healing
All praise King Jesus
Glory to God in Heaven
Your blood still speaking
Your love still reaching
All praise King Jesus
Glory to God forever

Glory to God forever
Glory to God forever
Glory to God forever
(Glory to God forever)

Hallelujah to the Son of suffering

All praise King Jesus
All praise King Jesus
All praise King Jesus
Glory to God forever
All praise King Jesus
All praise King Jesus
All praise King Jesus
Glory to God forever
Passage:

20 Now some Greeks were among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 So they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested of him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.

23 Jesus replied to them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit. 25 The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me. Where I am, there my servant also will be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

27 “Now my soul is troubled. What should I say ​— ​Father, save me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.”

Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

29 The crowd standing there heard it and said it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”

30 Jesus responded, “This voice came, not for me, but for you. 31 Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 As for me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to indicate what kind of death he was about to die. -- John 12:20-33 (CSB)
Musical Reflection:

I Need Thee Every Hour (NEED) by Robert Lowry
Reflection Notes:

Each stanza of this familiar hymn was written by Annie Hawks as part of a poem. When she showed the composition to her pastor, Robert Lowry, he added the refrain and set the text to music for their congregation to enjoy. The musical lines always tend upward before falling back down, an apt parallel to the textual pleas reaching up to God.
Prayer: