Jesus' Close Friends - Philip - Part 4

Our next picture (the third) of Philip brings us to John 12.

    Now there were some Greeks among those who
    went up to worship at the Feast. They went up
    to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee,
    with a request, "Sir," they said, "we would like
    to see Jesus."

    Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in
    turn told Jesus.

    Jesus replied, The hour has come for the Son of
    Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a
    kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it
    remain only a single seed. But if it dies it produces
    many seeds....
                         -- John 12:20-24


We looked a these verses in our study on Andrew (See Lesson 1) but here are just a few more thoughts:

 Why did Jesus say, "The hour has come"?

Several times earlier in His ministry He said, "My hour has not yet come." But now it has.

Is it the appearance of the Greeks? Is this a turning point? We notice in the preceding verses that the
Pharisees had rejected him again, and were, in fact, planning to kill Lazarus also -- he was the greatest living example of Christ's miraculous power -- so it would make sense to "erase" both of them.

     Now the crowd that was with him when he called
     Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the
     dead continued to spread the word.

     Many people, because they had heard that he
     had given this miraculous sign, went out to
     meet him.

     So the Pharisees said to one another, "See this
     is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole
     world has gone after him!"
                                                            
                           -- John 12:17-19

Strangely prophetic words: the whole world has gone
after him.

John tells his story with such contrast and irony.

 The Pharisees, the respected religious leaders and "establishment," had rejected Jesus and were, in fact, planning to kill him.  But here come the Gentiles, not of the house of Israel, seeking him.

And were the Pharisees also thinking about the recent welcome Jesus received when he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday?

The Pharisees were speaking true words - more true that they realized. Literally, the whole world was now going to come seeking Jesus.

The Greeks came to Philip because they wanted to see Jesus.

Do people come to us in order to "see Jesus"?

Jesus is Glorified When the Doors are Open

So often we spend our energies trying to be in the Inner Circle - close to the seat of power -  next to the rich and influential.

This involves excluding others - for obviously we can't become part of the elite unless we bar others,
the "less worthy," from being in that group.

Jesus didn't think that way. His glory consists in opening the doors wide and wide, including all who want to enter in. So that people from every race and tribe can be part of that final group around his throne.

No one is cast out.  One of our last pictures of Jesus,
recorded for us also by John, shows us this image:

     You are worthy to take the scroll and to open
     its seals,

     Because you were slain, and with your blood
     you purchased men for God from every tribe and
     language and people and nation.

     You have made them to be a kingdom and priests
     to serve our God, and they will reign on earth.
                    --- Revelation 5:9-10



I remember a youth leader, many years ago, who
cautioned us, "Hate draws a line to keep people out,
but love makes a circle to draw people in."

Christ died to open doors - not to close them.

Why should we be different?