May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. "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 will glorify it again." The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." (John 12:3020-33)

In Christ's name and to his glory, dear friends: I think it is good and natural to be drawn to that which we like. Our circle of friends develops because we like the traits of people; we are drawn to others with whom we share common interests. We pursue careers based on what we like and what interests us. All this is good. Yet, we know that since sin is in our world and in us, we cannot always simply trust our desires and instincts and hearts. Not everything we like is necessarily good for us or what God wants for us. We would like, for instance, a trouble-free life, yet God lets us know that such a life isn't always best for us. If we only befriend those we are naturally drawn to, we may unintentionally avoid others who need our friendship. In our careers, if we pursue only that which we like or that which comes easily to us, we may not live up to our God-given potential. Imperfect people such as we are need the Lord's guidance; it is not safe simply to follow our natural desires. Our Lord must push us and draw us to what is good. And this he does with his mighty Word today. He draws us to what we would normally not pursue of our own volition. He draws us to Christ's cross. DRAWN TO HIS CROSS.

Jesus was drawn to his cross. The Gospel takes us to the last week of Jesus' earthly life. He's in Jerusalem. In just a few days from this conversation, he would walk through his death to his Easter resurrection. Jesus was there because he knew that was where his heavenly Father wanted him to be, and where Jesus knew he had to be. The Gospels tell us that Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem (Luke 9). He didn't relish the idea of what lay ahead. We know his prayer in the Garden-if it is possible, take this cup from me. Yet Jesus would not be side-tracked from what was necessary even though unpleasant-not by his own natural anxiousness over pain, not by Satan, not even by friends like Peter who didn't want him to go to his death. Like a needle of a compass is drawn north, so Jesus was drawn to Jerusalem, his cross, and the glory that lay on the horizon.

The Father strengthened him, pointed him to his cross. God led some Greeks who happened to be in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast to come looking for Jesus. "We would like to see Jesus," they said to some of his disciples. When Jesus got the news of their request it strengthened his resolve; it drew him to his own cross. The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Jesus was drawn to his cross by seeing the wonderful results of his cross-his death would mean life for countless numbers of people. A seed really doesn't find its full potential if it sits on a shelf somewhere, but only if it's buried and lets itself be destroyed so that a plant can grow from it, produce fruit and countless numbers of seeds in that fruit. Just so, Jesus came for a purpose, not to be admired on a shelf, but to be destroyed so that by that death he would give life to sinners like us. Seeing the result of his death drew him to his cross. Now my heart is troubled, (this is not easy task) and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? (Should I not do it just because it's difficult?) No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name! Jesus was drawn to his cross.

We are drawn to his cross too. It was not a false hope that his destruction would mean lots of life for others. For thousands of years people have been saying: "We would like to see Jesus." The written record of the facts of his life, death and resurrection has and still does draw people. He died, was destroyed, and the fruit of his death is life for believers. I see the fruit of his death sitting before me now; and I know in my own heart how blessed I am that Jesus took my place before God's judgment throne, died my death, suffered my punishment so that I can have heaven. When life is difficult, we turn to Jesus for strength. When conscience is troubled, we turn to Jesus for forgiveness. When death is near, we confidently say, I want to see my Savior and we know that our life will continue in heaven. We are, God has made us, the fruit that Jesus spoke of-If the seed dies, it produces many seeds.

Now, remember how I began by saying that we sinners are not always drawn to the purest pursuits. God has given us faith, drawn us to Christ's cross to find our life there. But while on our way toward heaven others and other things vie for our hearts. It's easy to get sidetracked, to stop letting God draw us to Christ's cross daily, to be drawn elsewhere. Especially are we in danger when our Christian life is not all a bed of roses and pleasant to our earthly senses. So God wants to warn us against being drawn elsewhere and to point us to Christ's cross today and let it draw us ever closer to him.

Whenever you get sidetracked, distracted, or discouraged, remember that only one pursuit will land you safely in heaven. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Satan wants to draw your attention away from Christ, to anything else, especially to self-absorbed worry about your life here on earth. So God warns, you cannot live with the goal of making your earthly life the most important thing and end up in heaven. It just won't work! If, on the other hand, you keep heart and eyes focused on Jesus' cross or, as Jesus says if you hate your life in this world, you will have eternal life. We can forget what's really important, especially if we only run after what is pleasant or we suffer some set back. So Jesus draws us back to the cross today and every day.

What does this mean to gain eternal life because we hate this life? Just this: it is to daily remember why you need Christ's cross-because we are damnable sinners; and to daily remember what Christ's cross gives us-forgiveness, life and salvation. And to remember that if we have this forgiveness and life in Christ's cross, then come what may we are blessed.

And God wants to strengthen us so he says: Where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. You won't be disappointed if your attention always goes back to the cross. So this is our prayer: Hold, thou, thy cross before my closing eyes; shine through the gloom and point me to the skies. Heav'n's morning breaks and earth's vain shadows flee. In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.   Amen.