Lutheran Devotional 1 March 2026, Sunday Message
TOPIC: Time To Die
Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks [asking,] “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” … And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. … Now is My soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify Your Name. … Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death He was going to die. … [Then Jesus] departed and hid Himself from them. (John 12:20, 21b, 23-24, 27-28a, 31-33, 36b)
Jesus has a strange reaction to the coming of the Greeks! He goes into an anguished meditation on His own death, and then He leaves and hides Himself. Why?
Jesus’ own short ministry has been spent mainly among the Jews; He knows that evangelizing the nations is the job of His church. When this delegation of Greeks comes to Jesus, it shows that the age of the church is beginning, and Jesus Himself is about to die. And this fact overwhelms Him.
And yet, we have reason to be glad. Because Jesus overcomes the temptation to save Himself, and submits once again to the cross and resurrection. Which means that now, anyone who believes in Him, Jew or Gentile, has life forever.
WE PRAY: Lord, thank You for choosing to save us. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- Have you ever had to choose between your own wellbeing and that of someone you love?
- Was it easy or difficult? Why?
- What does Jesus’ choice say about how He feels about you?
Today’s Readings:
- Leviticus 13
- Mark 7:14-37
Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.