Welcome to The Word Became Fresh, the Bible-teaching ministry of Pastor Sebastian Petz from The WORD Church LA.

Last time, we concluded John 12:20–26 as Jesus explained what His approaching death would mean for everyone who would follow Him. We saw that just as a grain of wheat must die to bear much fruit, so Christ would lay down His life to accomplish our salvation. We also learned that true discipleship requires loving Christ above all else, denying ourselves, faithfully following Him, and joyfully serving Him with the promise that one day we will be with Him forever and honored by the Father.

In this episode, we'll begin John 12:27–36 as Jesus' soul becomes deeply troubled in anticipation of the cross. We'll hear the Father speak from heaven, discover why Jesus refused to turn away from the very hour He came to endure, and begin to see how the cross would become both God's instrument of salvation for all who believe and His instrument of judgment upon a world that rejects His Son.

Thanks for listening to The Word Became Fresh, the Bible-teaching ministry of Pastor Sebastian Petz from The WORD Church LA.

Today we saw that although the cross filled Jesus' soul with profound anguish, He willingly embraced the Father's will because this was the very purpose for which He had come. We also heard the Father's voice affirm the Son's mission and began to see that Christ's crucifixion would accomplish far more than anyone standing there could have imagined—it would glorify God, bring judgment upon the world, defeat the ruler of this world, and open the way of salvation to all who trust in Him.

Next time, we'll conclude John 12:27–36 as we examine Jesus' declaration that He would be "lifted up" to draw all people to Himself. We'll consider the crowd's confusion about the Messiah, Christ's urgent call to walk in the light while it is still available, and why responding to Jesus in faith today is a matter of eternal consequence.

Until then, stay rooted in the Word, and listen for the Shepherd's voice.

Welcome to The Word Became Fresh, the Bible-teaching ministry of Pastor Sebastian Petz from The WORD Church LA.

Last time, we began John 12:20–26 as a group of Greeks arrived seeking Jesus, signaling that His saving mission was about to extend beyond Israel to the nations. Jesus declared that His long-awaited hour had finally come and revealed that His glory would come through His sacrificial death, like a grain of wheat that falls into the earth and dies to produce abundant fruit.

In this episode, we'll conclude John 12:20–26 as Jesus explains what His coming death means for every disciple. Together, we'll discover what it truly means to follow Christ, to die to self, and to receive the eternal reward promised to all who faithfully serve Him.

Thanks for listening to The Word Became Fresh, the Bible-teaching ministry of Pastor Sebastian Petz from The WORD Church LA.

Today we saw that true discipleship is marked by wholehearted devotion to Jesus Christ. Those who love Him above all else are called to deny themselves, follow Him faithfully, and serve Him sacrificially. Yet Christ also gives an incredible promise: everyone who follows Him will be with Him forever and will be honored by the Father Himself.

Next time, we'll begin John 12:27–36 as Jesus' soul becomes troubled in anticipation of the cross. We'll hear the Father's voice from heaven, discover why Jesus refused to shrink from His mission, and see how His death would bring judgment upon the world, defeat Satan, and draw sinners from every nation to Himself.

Until then, stay rooted in the Word, and listen for the Shepherd's voice.

Welcome to The Word Became Fresh, the Bible-teaching ministry of Pastor Sebastian Petz from The WORD Church LA.

Last time, we concluded John 12:12–19 as Jesus entered Jerusalem amid the shouts of "Hosanna!" While the crowds celebrated Him as Israel's promised King, they failed to grasp the true nature of His mission. The disciples would only understand these events after Christ's glorification, while the crowds bore witness to His power, and the Pharisees reluctantly acknowledged that "the world has gone after Him."

In this episode, we'll begin John 12:20–26 as a group of Greeks arrives seeking Jesus, signaling that His saving mission is about to extend beyond Israel to the nations. Jesus declares that His long-awaited hour has finally come, revealing that true glory can only be reached through His sacrificial death. Together, we'll begin exploring the searching question at the heart of this passage: Who do you truly love—your own life, or the Lord Jesus Christ?

Thanks for listening to The Word Became Fresh, the Bible-teaching ministry of Pastor Sebastian Petz from The WORD Church LA.

Today we saw that the arrival of the Greeks marked a decisive turning point in Jesus' earthly ministry. The hour anticipated throughout John's Gospel had finally arrived, and Christ revealed that His glory would not come through earthly conquest, but through the cross. Like a grain of wheat that must fall into the earth and die to produce abundant fruit, Jesus willingly embraced death so that countless sinners from every nation might receive eternal life.

Next time, we'll conclude John 12:20–26 as Jesus applies these truths directly to His followers. Together, we'll discover what genuine discipleship looks like, why loving Christ requires dying to self, and how those who faithfully follow Him will ultimately share in His eternal honor.

Until then, stay rooted in the Word, and listen for the Shepherd's voice.

Welcome to The Word Became Fresh, the Bible-teaching ministry of Pastor Sebastian Petz from The WORD Church LA.

Last time, we began John 12:12–19 as Jesus entered Jerusalem to the joyful cries of "Hosanna!" and the waving of palm branches. While the crowds welcomed Him as Israel's King, they misunderstood the true nature of His kingdom, expecting political deliverance rather than the salvation He came to accomplish through the cross.

In this episode, we'll conclude John 12:12–19 by examining the disciples' delayed understanding, the powerful testimony surrounding the raising of Lazarus, and the Pharisees' frustrated declaration that "the world has gone after Him." Together, these responses reveal that Jesus is exactly the King Scripture promised—but not the King the crowds expected.

Thanks for listening to The Word Became Fresh, the Bible-teaching ministry of Pastor Sebastian Petz from The WORD Church LA.

Today we saw that God's sovereign plan was unfolding even when those closest to Jesus failed to fully understand it. The crowds continued bearing witness to His power, the religious leaders grew increasingly hardened in their opposition, and the triumphal entry anticipated the worldwide scope of Christ's saving mission.

Next time, we'll begin John 12:20–26 as a group of Greeks seek an audience with Jesus, prompting Him to declare that His hour has finally come. Together, we'll discover why the path to glory leads first through the cross, and why all who would follow Christ must likewise embrace the way of self-denial and sacrificial discipleship.

Until then, stay rooted in the Word, and listen for the Shepherd's voice.

Welcome to The Word Became Fresh, the Bible-teaching ministry of Pastor Sebastian Petz from The WORD Church LA.

Last time, we concluded John 12:1–11 as Lazarus became living evidence of Christ's power, many believed in Jesus because of him, and the religious leaders hardened their unbelief, plotting to kill both Jesus and the man He had raised from the dead.

In this episode, we begin John 12:12–19 as Jesus enters Jerusalem to the shouts of "Hosanna!" and the waving of palm branches. At first glance, it appears the nation is finally ready to receive her King—but beneath the celebration lies a profound misunderstanding of the Messiah's true mission and the kind of kingdom He came to establish.

Thanks for listening to The Word Became Fresh, the Bible-teaching ministry of Pastor Sebastian Petz from The WORD Church LA.

Today we saw that Jesus deliberately entered Jerusalem in fulfillment of Scripture, publicly presenting Himself as Israel's promised King. Yet while the crowds celebrated His arrival with great enthusiasm, their expectations were shaped more by political hopes than by God's redemptive plan.

Next time, we'll conclude John 12:12–19 as we continue exploring the Triumphal Entry, examining the significance of the disciples' delayed understanding, the testimony of the crowds, and the Pharisees' frustrated declaration that "the world has gone after Him."

Until then, stay rooted in the Word, and listen for the Shepherd's voice.

Welcome to The Word Became Fresh, the Bible-teaching ministry of Pastor Sebastian Petz from The WORD Church LA.

Last time, we began John 12:1–11 as Mary poured out a costly perfume upon the feet of Jesus, revealing a heart of genuine worship, while Judas exposed the emptiness of false discipleship.

In this episode, we'll conclude John's account as the crowds gather because of Lazarus, the religious leaders harden their opposition, and the miracle that reveals Christ's glory becomes the very reason they plot to take another life.

Thanks for listening to The Word Became Fresh, the Bible-teaching ministry of Pastor Sebastian Petz from The WORD Church LA.

Today we saw that the same Jesus who drew many to saving faith also provoked deeper unbelief in those determined to reject Him. Lazarus became living evidence of Christ's power, yet the religious leaders responded by plotting to kill both the Savior and the man He raised.

Next time, we'll begin John 12:12–19 as Jesus enters Jerusalem amid palm branches and shouts of "Hosanna!" We'll discover that while the crowds welcomed Him as King, few truly understood the kind of Messiah He had come to be.

Until then, stay rooted in the Word, and listen for the Shepherd's voice.

Welcome to The Word Became Fresh, the Bible-teaching ministry of Pastor Sebastian Petz from The WORD Church LA.

Last time, we concluded John 11 as the resurrection of Lazarus led the religious leaders to officially plot the death of Jesus.

Caiaphas unknowingly declared the very heart of the gospel: that one man would die for the people.

Now in John 12, Jesus returns to Bethany only days before the Passover and the cross.

At a dinner in His honor, Mary pours out a costly perfume upon the feet of Jesus in one of the most beautiful acts of worship in all of Scripture.

As the fragrance fills the house, John begins revealing the difference between true devotion and false discipleship.

In this episode, we'll begin John 12:1–8 and witness the worship of Mary, the objection of Judas, and the Savior who is moving steadily toward His burial.

Welcome to The Word Became Fresh, the Bible-teaching ministry of Pastor Sebastian Petz from The WORD Church LA.

Last time in John 11:47–57, we saw the religious leaders respond to the resurrection of Lazarus with shocking unbelief.

Rather than submitting to Christ, they gathered to protect their power, preserve their position, and silence the One who threatened both.

Yet in one of the great ironies of Scripture, Caiaphas unknowingly declared the very heart of the gospel:

that one man should die for the people.

In this episode, we'll finish John 11 as John pulls back the curtain on God's sovereign plan behind these events.

The opposition to Jesus intensifies.

The plot to kill Him becomes official.

And the shadow of the cross grows darker as the true Passover Lamb moves steadily toward His appointed hour.

Welcome to The Word Became Fresh, the Bible-teaching ministry of Pastor Sebastian Petz from The WORD Church LA.

Last time in John 11:28-46, we witnessed one of the greatest miracles in all of Scripture.

Jesus stood before the tomb of Lazarus...

and with absolute authority, called a dead man back to life.

The grave obeyed the voice of its Creator.

Death itself submitted to the Son of God.

And many who witnessed the miracle believed in Him.

But not everyone responded with faith.

Some ran directly to the Pharisees.

And now, the greatest sign in John’s Gospel becomes the catalyst for the greatest act of rebellion imaginable.

The religious leaders gather together...

not to worship...

not to repent...

not to rejoice that a dead man lives again...

but to plot the death of Jesus Himself.

In this episode, we witness the growing hardness of unbelief, the fearful calculations of corrupt leaders, and the stunning irony that while sinful men conspire against Christ...

God is sovereignly preparing the Lamb for sacrifice.

Welcome to The Word Became Fresh, the Bible-teaching ministry of Pastor Sebastian Petz from The WORD Church LA.

Last time in John 11:28-46, we stood in one of the most emotionally powerful moments in all of Scripture.

Mary fell at the feet of Jesus weeping.

The mourners surrounded her in grief.

And Jesus Himself wept in the presence of death and sorrow.

But the story is now reaching its dramatic climax.

Jesus is about to walk to the tomb of Lazarus.

The stone still covers the grave.

The body has already begun to decay.

Humanly speaking, all hope is gone.

And yet, standing before that tomb is not merely a teacher, prophet, or miracle worker.

Standing there is the Son of God...

the One who has authority over life and death itself.

In this episode, we’ll continue John 11:28–46 as Jesus commands the stone to be removed...

calls Lazarus by name...

and gives the world a glimpse of the resurrection power that ultimately points forward to His own victory over the grave.