"The life spent on self is like the grain that is eaten. It disappears, but there is no increase. A man may gather all he can for self; he may live and think and plan for self; but his life passes away, and he has nothing. The law of self-serving is the law of self-destruction. DA 624.1"
"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."
EGW is clearly drawing on the principle articulated in Matthew 16:25, contrasting self-serving with self-sacrifice and its consequences. It's a strong thematic parallel.
"“If any man serve Me,” said Jesus, “let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me, him will My Father honor.” All who have borne with Jesus the cross of sacrifice will be sharers with Him of His glory. It was the joy of Christ in His humiliation and pain that His disciples should be glorified with Him. They are the fruit of His self-sacrifice. The outworking in them of His own character and spirit is His reward, and will be His joy throughout eternity. This joy they share with Him as the fruit of their labor and sacrifice is seen in other hearts and lives. They are workers together with Christ, and the Father will honor them as He honors His Son. DA 624.2"
"If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour."
EGW directly quotes John 12:26 and then expands on its meaning in the context of Christ's sacrifice and the reward for those who serve Him. This is a clear and direct allusion.
The message of the Greeks, foreshadowing as it did the gathering in of the Gentiles, brought to the mind of Jesus His entire mission. The work of redemption passed before Him, from the time when in heaven the plan was laid, to the death that was now so near at hand. A mysterious cloud seemed to enshroud the Son of God. Its gloom was felt by those near Him. He sat rapt in thought. At last the silence was broken by His mournful voice, “Now is My soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour?” In anticipation Christ was already drinking the cup of bitterness. His humanity shrank from the hour of abandonment, when to all appearance He would be deserted even by God, when all would see Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. He shrank from public exposure, from being treated as the worst of criminals, from a shameful and dishonored death. A foreboding of His conflict with the powers of darkness, a sense of the awful burden of human transgression, and the Father's w…
"Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour."
EGW directly quotes John 12:27 and provides context and interpretation of Christ's troubled soul in anticipation of his suffering.
"And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."
Both passages describe Jesus's internal struggle and prayer in anticipation of his suffering. The EGW passage expands on the emotional and spiritual context of Jesus's prayer, aligning with the theme of Jesus's humanity and submission to God's will as portrayed in Matthew 26:39.
"Then came divine submission to His Father's will. “For this cause,” He said, “came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy name.” Only through the death of Christ could Satan's kingdom be overthrown. Only thus could man be redeemed, and God be glorified. Jesus consented to the agony, He accepted the sacrifice. The Majesty of heaven consented to suffer as the Sin Bearer. “Father, glorify Thy name,” He said. As Christ spoke these words, a response came from the cloud which hovered above His head: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” Christ's whole life, from the manger to the time when these words were spoken, had glorified God; and in the coming trial His divine-human sufferings would indeed glorify His Father's name. DA 624.4"
"Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again."
The EGW passage directly quotes and elaborates on John 12:28, including the phrase "Father, glorify thy name" and the response from heaven. It's a clear and direct reference.
"And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
Both passages deal with Jesus's obedience to the Father, even unto death. While the EGW passage doesn't directly quote Philippians 2:8, it echoes the theme of Christ's humility and submission to God's will, culminating in his sacrifice.