We Would See Jesus

[Our lessons were Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 51:1-13; Hebrews 5:5-10; and John 12:20-33.]

When Philip told Jesus that some Greeks wanted to see him, Jesus’ response was, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” Until this point in John’s Gospel, Jesus has said several times that the time or hour “has not come.”

But, when the Greeks wanted to see him, Jesus knew that the time had come for him to be glorified. Because Gentiles—non-Jews—were now seeking him, Jesus knew that his mission had become universal. It was time for him to be lifted up, so all people could be drawn to him. And, of course, the “lifting up” would be on the Cross.

Often, Jesus’ idea of glory doesn’t match ours. To us, “glory” often means having more: more money, more prestige, more power. In many ways, the pursuit of this type of glory has had a lot to do with the economic situation we are in today. To Jesus, glory is about giving more, not having more. Glory, in Jesus’ context, involved accepting the Cross and suffering.

Earlier in John’s Gospel, Jesus says that he came so we could have life and have it abundantly. He also says that he will show God’s love by laying down his life for his friends—us, all those who have gone before us and all those who come after us. This loving purpose is the focus of John’s Gospel. God’s love for us is so great that Jesus will fulfill it by willingly suffering pain and death.

And by his doing that, we know that Jesus stands with us when we face any danger. This doesn’t mean that we won’t undergo hardship, suffer or face bodily death. It does mean that we won’t face them alone and that the real death that we should fear—separation from God—will never happen to us.

“Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” We can see him in others if we only look. But, can they see him in us? If we are to let them see Jesus in us, we have to be ready to stand at the foot of the Cross on Good Friday when the Son of God is silenced by death.