John’s gospel in Chapter 12,verses 20-33. 

Turn with me to this passage which John alone tells.

Jesus had entered Jerusalem for the Passover festival having just raised Lazarus from the dead, and was receiving an enthusiastic welcome from crowds of people gathered for the festival.  This was the major festival, held annually to remember how God saved Israel.  But there were some who did not welcome Jesus, and indeed were actively plotting His death. 

At such a time as this many Gentiles would go to the city. and although not Jews would join in the celebrations.  Some Greeks were amongst the crowds, who having heard of Jesus,  were determined to meet Him.  Having heard the stories of what Jesus had done, they realized something was missing from their lives, and wanted to receive from Him that something  So when they said they wanted to see Jesus, they were in fact seeking a meeting with Him.

They were from a settlement in the North of Galilee and went to Philip who came from near their area and said to him, ‘Sir, we want to see Jesus’.  Philip told Andrew, and they told Jesus who agreed to meet them.

When Jesus was told of their request He was pleased and responded immediately.  He had not gone to Jerusalem to enter for the same purpose as the crowds had in mind, events were building up and were leading to the time of our Lord’s road to the Cross.   So when the group of people were genuinely seeking Him, He said, "The our has come for the Son of man to be glorified.

The Jews would not have understood what Jesus meant.  For them, the Son of Man conveyed an image of someone who would lead to world conquest and so attain glory, but Jesus meant it was time for Him to make the supreme sacrifice for the world by dying on the Cross ,so bringing glory to Him and to God.

He went on to say "Truly, truly, I say to you."   Whenever Jesus used those words, it meant that He was going to say something important. Jesus said, "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone."   He was pointing out that when a seed died it brought forth fruit, and death brings life through people. 

As Christians were martyred for the faith, so the Church grew, and He was here meaning that He was like the grain of wheat and unless He went to the Cross, His whole purpose in coming to earth will have been in vain. He knew what He had to face, and that He is going to be glorified through the sacrifice the Cross, because by that cruel death the way to forgiveness for all believers was made possible.  If He had not made the sacrifice on the Cross, you and I and everybody else, could not have forgiveness. His death meant eternal life for all who believed in Him.

When He met those Greeks, it was as the first sign that the gospel was to go to all the world, and be part of God’s plan to bring salvation to the Gentiles, the symbol of the great harvest for which He came.

If He had not died, we probably would not know any more about Him, for He would have just been another figure of history, of no greater significance than any other great religious leader. Because of the Cross, He was able to do something He could never have done otherwise.

Jesus said, the one who loves their life will lose it.  He was referring to those who live solely for themselves, and out to get as much as they can without thought for others.  Billy Graham received offers which would have made him a very rich man, but made clear his greatest desire was to preach the gospel, for which he only took the salary of an ordinary Baptist Minister.

Christians generally are called to put service of the Lord first, and indeed there are many men and women who could have followed brilliant careers for rich rewards, but chose to go on mission fields far away from their homeland. We see the humanity of Jesus displayed when He expressed his fear at the thought of the Cross, but was ready to give obedience to God and suffer much pain which would ultimately lead to triumph.  God spoke to Jesus in His hour of torment, just as He did at His baptism and when on the Mount of Transfiguration.  God is always ready to give strength, when we seek it.

At the Cross, Jesus underwent the judgment we deserve, and paid our debt to God.  His death gives us hope of everlasting life with Him one day. He wants to give you that hope in your life today. He alone can give you that new life that can never fade, and you can find that new life by meeting Jesus.

People in these high pressure days, are so often weary and depressed and looking for that spiritual something.  People are looking for something beyond themselves, looking for a way that gets the most out of life, yet carrying a load of guilt, fear and worry.  Jesus said, ‘come unto me all you are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest’

A day is coming when we will all see Jesus. The Bible says everyone will assemble before Him as He sits on the judgment throne. Some will go one way with the goats, some the other way with the sheep.  We will have either joy in the after-life with Jesus, or eternity with the lost. The criterion is how we respond whilst we are here on earth.  The bible says ‘now is the time of God’s favor, now is the time of salvation’.  It will be too late after we have died, and no amount of intercession will then save us. 

One of the most saddest things is this life, is the fact that there are thousands of children and young people especially, who have not the slightest knowledge of Jesus; who have only heard the name when their elders are using it as an expletive. Parents have not the inclination nor the knowledge themselves to tell their children.  Gone are the days when schools held assemblies, which contained a hymn perhaps, and a Bible story. However, I read that the school curriculum gives no place for religious education, even if there were enough teachers to teach the children. 

he same day there was a teacher replying to a parents who had complain about their children being at classes for sexual teaching.  When Church schools are at the front and include it in their classes, the hope of realistic action is revealed.  Without a basic religios foundation, children are being seriosly deprived.  This of course is not a setback for children of ethnic faiths, who are committed to their faith.

I had the joy of preaching recently at a small Methodist Church which had the same words inscribed on the pulpit. It is a call to the preacher that he must only preach Jesus Christ, and not engage in philosophy, politics, or be submissive to political correctness.

These words were the theme of the preacher when I was ordained at Chester Cathedral, one of the godliest men you could possibly meet.

In many evangelical churches in the United States, they have these words inscribed on the pulpit to remind the preacher, that people have come to hear about Jesus Christ.  There are in the United States, Churches which are a joy to visit, with sound expository preaching

 To see Jesus is to see God’s salvation.

To see Jesus is to see God’s Light and revelation.

To see Jesus is to see God and His way revealed.

May we ever be like the Greeks in our passage today, and want to see Jesus, and seek Him with all our hearts.

 

Thank God for giving us Jesus. May God be praised and Glorified