Faith of Our Fathers
Episode: “Easter: John 12:21” by John Stott
Date: March 20, 2026
Host: WDAC Radio Company

Overview

In this special Easter message drawn from John 12:21, renowned preacher and theologian John Stott unpacks the longing to see Jesus and explores the central paradox of the Christian Gospel: “power through weakness, glory through suffering, and life through death.” Stott organizes the message around three scenes from John's Gospel—Jesus on a donkey, Jesus raising Lazarus, and Jesus’ teaching about the grain of wheat—showing how each reveals a vital aspect of Christ's identity and mission. The episode ultimately challenges listeners to embrace this paradox not just in salvation, but in holiness and mission.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Cry to See Jesus (00:43–04:30)

• Text: John 12:21 — The Greeks seek Jesus: “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”
• Stott powerfully frames this as “the cry of the human heart”—longed for by awakened sinners, new believers, mature saints near life’s end, and entire congregations hungry for a Christ-centered message.
• Quote:

  “The whole purpose of the four Gospels is to present a portrait of Jesus so that people who read the Gospels may see him and, seeing him, may be drawn to him and may put their trust in him and may find new life in him.” (03:40, John Stott)

Scene 1: Jesus on the Donkey — Vision of Weakness (04:30–15:25)

• Focus: Jesus’ triumphal entry (Palm Sunday); self-conscious fulfillment of Zechariah 9.
• Stott distinguishes Jesus’ kingship from political rebellion or zealotry—He purposefully rejects force.
• Quote:

  “Before the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus in the wilderness of Judea, Jesus deliberately renounced the option of force, the zealot option. He would not conquer the world by force. He was going to conquer the world through the cross and not by might and power.” (10:54, John Stott)

• Jesus claims kingship “weaponless except for love”—an extraordinary anomaly symbolized by entering Jerusalem on a donkey, not a warhorse.
• Memorable Analogy:

  “Whoever heard of a king claiming a worldwide empire and issuing his claim from the back of a donkey?” (12:00, John Stott)

• Stott brings out the humility and restraint of Christ:

  “He will never use a battering ram to break down our resistance. He will never come to us on a prancing war charger and intimidate us into acceptance of him. On the contrary, he comes… humble in amazing weakness on the back of a donkey.” (13:28, John Stott)

• Jesus will ultimately return in glory (“mount the white horse”)—but now, He is “God on a donkey, God on a cross.”

Scene 2: Jesus and Lazarus — Vision of Power (15:25–20:30)

• Focuses on the recent raising of Lazarus and its impact on the crowds.
• Point: Lazarus’ resurrection is a sign of Christ’s supreme authority over death.
• Quote:

  “The raising of Lazarus from the dead, one of three people Jesus raised from the dead, was a sign… of the truth of Jesus’ claim: ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live.’” (18:16, John Stott)

• Contrasts human inability to overcome death with Christ’s unique power, calling death “the most democratic institution in the world.”
• Christ’s miracles over nature, disease, and demons culminate in this sign of resurrection power.

Scene 3: Jesus and the Seed — Power Through Weakness/Life Through Death (20:30–25:58)

• Focus on Greeks seeking Jesus; Jesus responds with teaching on the grain of wheat (John 12:24).

• Quote:

  “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it multiplies. Through death, there is life. Fruit is born, and above all, there is this multiplication of the seed. It’s only through the death of the husk that the wheat bears fruit.” (22:30, John Stott)

• Jesus implicitly affirms that only through His death will He draw all nations to Himself.

• The paradox: “power through weakness, life through death, glory through suffering” lies at the heart of the Gospel.

• Stott applies this to three areas:

  • Salvation: Life is offered through Jesus’ death; believers are “crucified with Christ.”
    • “You cannot think about salvation without thinking about life through death.” (27:07, John Stott)
  • Holiness: The call to mortification—putting to death the deeds of the body (Rom 8:13).
    • “If you, through the Spirit, put to death the deeds of the body, you will live... It’s only life through death in holiness, as in salvation.” (28:21, John Stott)
  • Mission: Mission follows the pattern of the cross: only willing death and sacrifice bring about spiritual multiplication.
    • “Authentic cross-cultural messengers of the Gospel will always bear witness to the fact that glory is through suffering, power is through weakness, and life is through death.” (29:49, John Stott)

• Memorable Contemporary Example:
  Stott honors missionary Marjorie Press, who lived sacrificially among women in Ethiopia and Djibouti:

  “It was a kind of life through death again in mission.” (30:36, John Stott)

Conclusion & Challenge (30:55–31:49)

• Reiterates the paradox of Christ’s path and its demand on disciples:

  “We have heard wonderful promises, like the promise, ‘you shall live.’ But we have also heard sobering conditions: that death is the gateway to life, and weakness is the condition of experiencing power. ‘My power is made perfect in your weakness,’ said Jesus.”

• Invites listeners to contemplate whether they are willing “to suffer and to be weak and even to die in order to enter into these great promises.”
• Closing prayer of gratitude and aspiration for Holy Week.

Memorable Quotes and Moments

• On the ultimate vision of Christ:

  “The one in whom the Gospel paradox has come to its most perfect expression—of power through weakness, glory through suffering, life through death.” (31:15, John Stott)

• On ‘Sir, we want to see Jesus’:

  “I hope that theme may stay with us during Holy Week as we move day by day towards Good Friday and Easter Day, and we'll see the paradox exemplified with the eyes of our imagination.” (31:05, John Stott)

Key Timestamps

• 00:43 – Introduction of passage and main question (“Sir, we want to see Jesus”)
• 04:30 – Scene 1: Jesus on the Donkey – Vision of Weakness
• 15:25 – Scene 2: Jesus raises Lazarus – Vision of Power
• 20:30 – Scene 3: The Seed – Power through Weakness/Life through Death
• 25:58 – Application to salvation, holiness, and mission
• 30:55 – Final challenge and closing prayer

Tone and Style

Stott’s message is thoughtful, earnest, gentle yet intellectually rigorous, making deep theological points through vivid imagery, scriptural insight, and clear applications for modern Christian life.

This episode is a stirring meditation for Easter and Holy Week, inviting listeners to look beyond triumphalism and instead embrace the paradox at the very heart of the faith—a vision summed up most simply in the longing: “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”