What's your ambition? It is good to have ambitions, whether they are for today or for your lifetime. In the following true story we hear about people with excellent ambitions; I wonder how they will compare with yours?
Some Greeks found Philip, one of Jesus' disciples, and told him of their ambition - "Sir, we would like to see Jesus." (verse 21.) Do you have that as your life's greatest ambition? Philip probably thought of Jesus as the MESSIAH for the JEWS, so should he bother Jesus by this request from some "Greeks"?
He "went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus." (verse 22.)
"The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified," Jesus said. (verse 23.) Jesus' great ambition was about to be accomplished. He described it using this parable: "I tell you the truth, unless an ear of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." (verse 24.)
A seed is no use if it only looks after itself! For example, recently I discovered some grass seed that had been safely hidden away for
almost ten years in a plastic bag. For those ten years it had done nothing, but when I threw it into the soil to die it produced much grass!
Jesus' great ambition was not a selfish one. He wanted to be able to bring "many sons to glory" and so glorify His Father in Heaven. (Hebrews 2:9-18.) But that would mean Him being put to a horrible and unjust death. The Father's plan was that Jesus would die for our sins. (2nd Corinthians 5:21.) By dying for us, and rising again, He would then be able to give life - ETERNAL LIFE - to many; changing "sinners" who would trust in Him into "sons". (Romans 5:6-21. John 1:11-12.)
As Jesus thought about the terrible punishment He would have to endure to pay for all your sins, and all my sins, and for the sins of the whole world, He said, "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. Father, glorify Your name!"
Then a voice came from Heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." (verses 27-28.) The Father in Heaven was delighted with His Son's ambition to become the Saviour of the world. (1st John 4:14.)
But would those Greeks be impressed when they would see Jesus being executed on a horrible Roman cross? Jesus knew what kind of death He was going to suffer for us, and what effect it would have, not only on Greeks but on all kinds of people all over the world. He said to them, "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." (verse 32-33.)
I hope YOU have been drawn to Jesus as your only Priest having seen what He did for you. (Hebrews 7:23-27. Acts 4:12.)
Trust in Him as your Saviour today, and your life's greatest ambition will surely be to glorify God your Saviour. (1st Peter 2:9-12. 4:7-16.)
Read today's story in John chapter 12, verses 20-33.
John Nixon, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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