Between the dying and the rising

A reflection on John 12: 20-33

[When this was preached, it began with a story about a friend of mine whom I referred to by the name Zoe – the Greek word for life. Zoe’s story is one of abuse, great pain, and her eventual emergence into the light of life. Zoe’s great insight is that: the glory lies between the dying and the rising.]

In today’s gospel reading Jesus speaks of a grain of wheat having no purpose unless it is buried in the earth and dies. We are reminded that to be a follower of Christ – a Christian – means losing one’s own life for the sake of others. And then Jesus speaks of God’s name being glorified.

The image of the grain of wheat buried in the earth is not a comfortable one. Bruce Prewer writes:

Let this be admitted plainly:

I shrink from being buried

alive in Christ’s mission.

Where is hope to be found

in grain shoved underground?

But, when Christ speaks of dying and rising, and when Christ says that those who love their life must lose it, when we are challenged to take up our cross and follow Jesus, then we cannot pretend that Christianity, being a Christian, a disciple of Jesus is an easy path to follow.

Easter is approaching. We will listen to the story of the crucifixion, Jesus’ betrayal, suffering and death. There are some who say that it is the crucifixion which brings glory to God. But the temptation with that line is to use the crucifixion to justify human suffering and death. Such an understanding does nothing to restore faith in God within a child who has been sexually abused by someone they trusted. The cross never justifies innocent suffering and God does not require the suffering of innocents in order to be glorified.

On the third day, we will gather to listen with joy to the story of the resurrection, and there are some who say that it is the resurrection which brings glory to God. But the temptation with this line is that if we see the resurrection through worldly eyes – as a success story in which good triumphs over evil – then we will miss the glory of God. We need to see the resurrection through gospel eyes as a statement of God’s faithfulness, of God’s liberation, of God’s love. The resurrection is not a statement about worldly success. God is not glorified in the resurrection alone, just as God is not glorified in the crucifixion alone.

The Basis of Union reminds us that “The church preaches Christ the risen crucified One and confesses him as Lord to the glory of God.” (The Basis of Union para. 3)

Crucifixion and resurrection must be held together if we are to understand something of the glory of God.

At the point at which Zoe faced the abuse of her childhood she became a broken woman. It was as if she died. When the healing journey was complete she was born again. But in between it was as if she was buried in the soil and nothing she could do or her counselor could do, or her friends could do, could force new life into her.

It is at that point, where there is seemingly no hope, that God is glorified – for in our hopelessness all there is, all we have, is God and God is faithful.

We need to be careful about how we hold crucifixion and resurrection together and this is where I believe Zoe’s insight is helpful. Too often as Christians we collapse Good Friday into Easter Day. We race from Friday to Sunday. We look at Friday with Sunday eyes.

But the glory lies between the dying and the rising.

It is immensely difficult for us to submit willingly to the way of Christ. We don’t want to give up all that we have known and loved, we don’t want to allow ourselves to be taken to uncomfortable and lonely places, we don’t want to face those experiences which feel like becoming a grain of wheat, being buried in the earth to await something unknown and uncertain. We would rather rush straight to new birth, to new beginnings, new certainties and new life.

But we must have crucifixion and resurrection: they cannot be separated nor can we collapse them into one glorious Easter event.

The dying, the waiting, the rising are one event and the glory of God emanates from the waiting – for at that point there is nothing apart from God.

The glory lies between the dying and the rising.