War In Your Heart # 38

Victory Through the Victor (continued)

Two Hours In God's Calendar Crisis - Climax (continued)

"This Hour"

John 12:27: "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour."

Certain Greeks, who were Gentiles, came to worship at the feast and said to Philip: "We would see Jesus." The Gentile world was reaching out to Him. Their request had a strange effect upon Jesus. The Gentiles were coming to Him, but for what? Would they say: "We know Thou art a great Teacher and Miracle-worker come from God, and we have come to worship and to follow Thee"? But had He come into the world as a teacher and a miracle-worker, whether that world were Jewish or Gentile? Or had He come to the world of men as a Saviour? Had He been born into this world to live or to die? It is not recorded that Jesus received the Greeks or made any reply to them. But their request to see Him was the Father's green light to His Son and He knew the crisis hour in God's calendar was at hand and with majestic calmness and assurance He said:

John 12:23: "The hour is come."

"The Hour" when the centuries-old prophecy-promise of Genesis 3:15 would be fulfilled had come at last, when the bruising of the heel of the woman's seed would take place; when "the child born" would die. "The hour" was the hour of the Cross; the noon hour not only of time but of eternity; the  pivotal hour in the life of both heaven and earth; the hour of the Saviourhood of the Son.

John 12:24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

John 12:25, 26 throws a floodlight upon the words in Hebrews 12:2: Who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross!

The joy of the "much fruit." Those redeemed by His precious blood "out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation"; a people for His own possession, the Church His Body, who in union with Him in His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension would be forever with the Bridegroom, the King, upon the throne on which He would reign! Yes, with what measure of joy the Son of Man could look forward to the Cross as the place of the redemption of man, even though the cost to Him would be so terrible!

But Jesus did not stop there. Let us read on:

John 12:27, 28: Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from This Hour: but for This cause came I unto This Hour. Father, glorify thy name.

"Now is my soul troubled." Why and over what? "Save me from this hour." Was that possible? No, because for "this cause" He had come unto "this hour"? Why could He not be saved from "this hour"? We are at rock bottom at this very point in the  teaching of the Word as to the deepest meaning of "the crisis hour of the Cross." "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground" and know with deepest discernment the cost to that dear Son of that simple word of prayer, "Father, glorify thy name."

~Ruth Paxson~

(continued with # 39)