Willing to Sacrifice (John 12:20-26)

Today's scripture: John 12:20-26

Jesus came to earth to bridge the gap between the Creator and the created. When Adam and Eve chose to follow their own willful path, a chasm was formed between them—and every other human—and God. The only way by which mankind could be reconciled with God was through the spilling of blood. For centuries, that blood came from a flawless lamb, sacrificed once a year for atonement for the people's sins.

God's ultimate plan for complete and total reconciliation, though, was through the death, burial, and resurrection of His own Son—part of the triune God.

In today's verses, Jesus spoke of His purpose. Just as in nature a seed must die in order for a plant to live and bear fruit, so Jesus would die to provide a once-for-all sacrifice for everyone who chooses to accept the gift of salvation.

But Jesus was speaking about more than His own death. He was also speaking about those who would follow Him. We too must be willing to "hate" our lives. I don't believe this means we're to abuse our bodies or denigrate ourselves. Rather, we're supposed to focus on the eternal, not the temporal. We need to be willing to give everything up—even ourselves—for God.

Jesus also made it clear that anyone who chooses to follow Him must serve Him. Again, this means we're to be willing to do whatever He calls us to do, whenever He calls us to do it.

Jesus provided the ultimate sacrifice for us—His very life. What are we willing to sacrifice for Him?