Advent Lutheran Church

"We Wish to See Jesus"

 

²⁰Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. ²¹They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” ²²Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.

 ²⁴Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

²⁷“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” ²⁹The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” ³⁰Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. ³¹Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. ³²And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. ³⁴The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” ³⁵Jesus said to them, “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. ³⁶While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.” After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them.

 

We wish to see Jesus

There is no doubt how this text is full of great teaching verses after verses. However, the idea of “some Greeks” and their request to see Jesus had captured my attention. 

In those days, it was common for many people to come from all over the places and participate in the Jewish festivals. It is clear that Greeks are gentiles. However, they were in Jerusalem to participate the Passover festival. This time it seems that they did not want to go without seeing the Lamb of God who is going to be the Passover lamb for all humanity.

Though they were Greeks, they did not hesitate to request to see the Lamb of God. We do not know from the text why they wished to see Jesus. However, we can see clearly that this was the glimpse of God’s call and love for all humanity even before the cross.

They came at the right and appointed hour. They might have heard about Jesus as the miracle performer, the teacher, the feeder, and many more. As they requested, they came at the hour where the ultimate identity of Christ is soon to be revealed.

 God bless Philip and Andrew for not trying to give their own version of Jesus for the Greeks. They did not give them religion. They directly told Jesus that Greeks wished to see him. They pointed to him.

The Greeks saw by their own eyes and heard by their own ears who Jesus was from his own mouth.  ^“ Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” He continued telling them about his death.

For all of us who would wish to see Jesus like the Greeks did, the hour has come. The hour to see Jesus on the cross has come. The hour that brings the new meaning of death as a means of life has come.

May God help us to see the Jesus God wants us to see.

Amen.