Sir, we wish to see Jesus

Even before the birth of Jesus, God sent prophets into the world to call God’s people into repentance and a renewed covenant. The Prophet Jeremiah lived and worked in the late seventh century BC, the last years the Kingdom of Judah existed as an independent nation. When Judah was conquered by Babylon, Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed, and the people carried off into exile. Jeremiah reminds the people that even though they have broken the original covenant with God, that not only will God not forsake them, but God will create and establish a new Covenant with them.

“The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. . . for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

God continued to love his people, to give them another opportunity. This time the covenant God makes is given to the nation as a whole and the people individually. God is preparing them to survive as Children of God in a foreign land, and to eventually return to Judah, rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple and to proclaim God’s love and mercy. God continues to put love into our hearts, preparing us to give that love away, because it is in giving that we receive.

A major part of Jesus’ life was to pass on the prophets’ teaching which is recorded in Leviticus and Deuteronomy: “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength. This is the first and great commandment. The second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as you love yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-7; Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:36-40)

As Jesus carried out the mission for which God sent Him into the world, preaching and living the two great commandments, he became known throughout the Mediterranean area. People had heard of him and his teachings: many wanted to know him, while others wanted to avoid him completely and some wanted to eliminate this “troublemaker.” We pick up the story as Jesus and his disciples are going up to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.

“Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.” (John 12:20-21)

Those Greeks who wanted to know Jesus gave him an opportunity to proclaim who he was, not only to them, but to all around him, and through the writer of the Gospel of John to us as well. Jesus also told them and us what we must do to have a life with God’s Covenant written on our hearts.

 Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very 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. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.” (John 12:23-26)

“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. Father, glorify your name. . . Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:27-33)

Can we do what Jesus asked us to do? Not alone, not with our strength only. But the Psalmist reminds us how we can do so: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence and take not your holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit. (Psalm 51:11-13)