Stewardship

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John 12:20-26

There were devout Greeks who came to worship at the feast. They came to Philip and asked to see Jesus. Philip told Andrew, and they both went to tell Jesus about the Greeks' request. Jesus explained to Philip and Andrew that it was time for Him to be glorified.

Jesus explained to Philip and Andrew, through a parable, how a grain of wheat can bear fruit once it dies. If Jesus does not sacrifice His life, the world will remain lost. They will never realize the seriousness of their sins. However, through His sacrifice of giving His innocent life up for the sins of the world, it will bear fruit that will last until He returns to earth.

Jesus' death on the cross would shake people to their core and force them to look inward at the way they are living, instead of looking outward and how they appear to be. God knew that mankind could not save themselves. He would have to do it for them. Adam and Eve made it clear that human beings are too vulnerable and gullible to live up to God's perfect standard. Therefore, God would need to send us a Savior. Someone who would take the blame and the punishment for what we have done throughout history, what we are doing today, and what we will do tomorrow. God sent Jesus to die for the sins that we commit in our lives. This act of mercy, by God, and unselfishness, by Jesus, allows us to be forgiven and allows us to go to heaven when the time comes.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed Satan, and Satan blamed God. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 7:1-5), Jesus teaches us not to judge others, but rather look at ourselves in the mirror and fix, with the help of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, the sins in our own lives.

The person who loves the world and worships their possessions and is not willing to accept God's free gift of salvation, will be lost forever. The person who hates the ways of this wicked world and is willing to give of themselves and wants to be save by Jesus, will live forever. In Luke 16:13, Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

"If anyone follows Me, let him follow Me, and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him, My Father will honor."(John 12:26). When we live right, which includes giving our life to Christ, God will honor that. This is this essence of the entire Bible: live according to God's commandments and accept His free gift of salvation, by believing in His Son, Jesus Christ.

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