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“Sir, we would like to see Jesus”

“Sir, we would like to see Jesus”
Words of Faith 1-3-17
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2017
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
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John 12
[20] Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. [21] They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." [22] Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.
[23] Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. [24] I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. [25] The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. [26] Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

A small group of Greeks came asking to see Jesus. The disciples appear to have been screening Jesus’ visitors somewhat. How do you get an appointment with the Messiah during Holy Week? They tried.
To say Jesus had a “busy schedule” or was “just buried this week” would have been the understatement of the millennium as well as a bad play-on-words. The truth is that everything was coming together as Jesus moved toward an appointment with the cross. It was not exactly a good time for visitors, but it was the only time there was! There was no way to “work them in next week”.
These were not Greek Jews, but they may have been inquirers who were seeking to be “God-fearers”, Gentile followers of Judaism. The group probably came to Philip because he had a Greek name. The request has always been a poignant one: "Sir, we would like to see Jesus."
This phrase has often been inscribed across the top of the pulpit in churches as a reminder to the preacher of what the people really hunger for. We cannot go wrong if we will get out of the way and reveal Jesus to those who inquire.
The response of Jesus is interesting. At first glance it appears that Jesus has ignored the inquiry but in fact He answers it precisely. Do you want to really see Jesus? Not just a quick healing, witness a miracle or hear a nugget of sage wisdom?
Do you want to see Jesus? He is the Son of Man who is about to be glorified. Just as a kernel of wheat must fall into the ground and die so that there may be life so it is with Jesus. Through death the victory of life is won. And what is following Jesus about? It is about letting go of this life to take hold of the eternal Life offered by God in Christ. It is about being a servant.
Do you want to see Jesus? Really? Often we say that we want to see Jesus but what we really want is a magician to do a trick for us or a wise sage to utter some bit of truth.
If we really want to see Jesus we will have to loosen our tightfisted grip on this life. We will learn to follow Him and to love Him more than this life. We will begin to hate “the world”, not the people of the world but the way of the world. We will not just see Jesus, we will serve Him. What joy there is in serving for the Father will honor the one who serves Jesus.

Lord, I do want to see You. Open my eyes. Loosen my grip on this life so that I may take hold of that which is eternal. Teach me to follow You. Teach me to serve You. In Jesus’ name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2002, 2017
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.