John 12:20–26 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.

John records this event immediately after Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He had arrived in Jerusalem and says “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” When we hear those words or think of seeing someone “in all their glory,” we imagine an awesome display of power and majesty and might. And that is precisely what Jesus was about to do, but it was not like anything the people in Jerusalem or anywhere else in this world could possibly have imagined.

Jesus being glorified included these things: His betrayal and arrest, being tried and beaten and mocked, denied by Peter, led out to the place of execution, and hung on a cross until He was dead. That was all part of Jesus being glorified. It was truly a majestic display of power and strength.

But that was not all. We know the rest of the story, how He rose on the third day, victorious over death and the grave, and then ascended into heaven where He was exalted to the highest place. That was also part of Jesus being glorified. An even more impressive display of the power of our King.

Let’s remember that there would not have been a resurrection if Jesus had not first died. And He died that horrible death so that He could pay the price our sins deserved and demanded. The season of Lent, and especially Holy Week, are designed for the purpose of jogging our memories to this fact.

The kernel of wheat fell to the ground and died in order to produce our forgiveness, life and salvation. This week we see Jesus being glorified.