To See Jesus
Notes
Transcript
SLIDE 1-2 There’s a song I remember singing when I was in high school and college and is in our hymnal today. The song is titled “Open Our Eyes, Lord.” We sing it occasionally. The lyrics go:
Open our eyes Lord
We want to see Jesus
To reach out and touch Him
And say that we love Him
Open our ears Lord
And help us to listen
Open our eyes Lord
We want to see Jesus
This song is a prayer. We are asking God to open our eyes because we want to see Jesus. This request is not unique to this song. We also find this request in scripture. Turn with me to John 12. We are continuing our look at the last week of Jesus life before he was arrested and crucified. Last week, we looked at Jesus ride into Jerusalem on what we now refer to as Palm Sunday. This incident took place on the following day, on Monday. There were some people who make the same request as the song does, they wanted to see Jesus.
20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 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. (John 12:20-22)
As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the people were looking for him. They were hoping he would be there for the Passover celebration. They wanted to see Jesus.
Even today, people desperately want to see Jesus. Some want to see Jesus so much that begin to see him in everyday objects.
Frying pan
Pizza
Potato chip
Toast
While I can certainly see a face in those items, I’m just not sure Jesus is appearing to people as food. These Greek men didn’t want to see a picture of Jesus, they wanted to see Jesus.
Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover. Three times a year, all adult males were required to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, the Feast of Tabernacles, and Passover. These Greeks had also traveled to Jerusalem as well. Presumably, they had placed their faith in God and had traveled there to worship him and celebrate.
They are not the only Gentiles we read about who trusted in God. It sounds like centurion whose servant Jesus healed, trusted God. We’re told how he had donated money for the rebuilding of the synagogue in Capernaum. The Ethiopian Eunuch, who was led to a faith in Jesus by Philip, was traveling home after visiting Jerusalem in order to worship God. And there was Cornelius who was visited by Peter to explain the gospel. The Bible describes him as a god-fearing man who prayed regularly. Even though they weren’t Jews, they worshiped God. These Greek men were no different.
Now were these men the only Gentiles who looked for Jesus. Jesus’ life began with the magi looking for him. Now these Greek men who had traveled to Jerusalem, learned that Jesus was in Jerusalem, and they wanted to see Jesus.
Every day of this final week, Jesus came to the temple and taught in the temple courts. However, Gentiles were not allowed in most of those places. So, spotting Philip, they ask if he would introduce them to Jesus. Philip talks to Andrew and the two of them take the men to Jesus.
Not everyone that wanted to see Jesus had pure motives. We’re told how the Pharisees had often come to see Jesus that they might ask him questions they thought would trip him up. We’re told that Herod Antipas wanted to see Jesus, but only because he hoped Jesus would perform some miracles for him. Herod only wanted to be entertained by Jesus. I think it would be safe to assume though, that the motives of these men were right.
These first two verses serve as an introduction to what Jesus is now going to say. These men are brought to Jesus to learn from him and what does Jesus tell them? He starts talking about his death. When Jesus is told why the men are there, his response is, “I’m going to die.”
23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, 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 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their 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. 27 Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. 30 Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. 34 The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?” (John 12:20-34)
We read that and wonder what Jesus said had to do with the request of these Greeks who have come to see him. I think the connection is this, if we want to see Jesus we have to come on his terms, not our own.
First, Jesus said he is going to die.
It was said of Billy Graham that he was at his best when he preached about the cross. And shouldn’t it be that way? The cross was the pivotal moment of Jesus’ life. He understood that the cross was the reason he’d come. His life had been leading up to it.
Jesus said that his hour of glorification had come and his glorification would begin with his crucifixion. As Jesus talks about his death it almost seems casual, but it wasn’t. Jesus had thought and prayed about it for a long time. This wasn’t the first time Jesus talked about his coming death. Jesus had mentioned it to his disciples several times, trying to prepare them, they just never seemed to understand. He had been talking about it and now that time was here. Jesus has also made it clear that this is the reason he’d come. Jesus was born so that he could die for our sins.
While Jesus’ attitude toward his suffering may seem a little subdued, it was only because he was seeing beyond the cross. He was looking to the purpose of the cross what it would bring. The author of Hebrews tells us that:
For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)
The joy that was set before him was not the cross, but what came after it – our forgiveness. And it could only come through the cross. The crowd just doesn’t understand. How could the Messiah die? It didn’t make sense to them.
Just as people have seen pictures of Jesus in their food, people have painted thousands and thousands of pictures of what they think Jesus may have looked like.
There are pictures of Jesus where he looks European
There are others where he looks like he’s from Africa
There are even Asian pictures of Jesus
Whatever picture we look at we need to realize it is just a guess and we have to make sure we aren’t trying to create Jesus in our own image to suit our own desires for who we think he should be.
That was the crowd. They had their ideas of who the Messiah was and what he should do. When he said he was going to die they just couldn’t understand. Nor did they want a Messiah who would die.
Today, there are some who deny the necessity of the cross. They find it repulsive that God would require his only Son to die on a cross for our sins. In effect, they deny the cross. But Jesus said it was the reason he’d come. Jesus was not the power of God ready to be unleashed on the Romans, to defeat this enemy of the Jews. Jesus came meek and lowly, ready to lay down his life for others in order to defeat the power of sin and death.
Second, Jesus said we need to die.
We must die to this world and its desires that we might live for Jesus. I’m not sure we understand the importance of what Jesus is asking of us, but I think the world does.
I recently heard an interview with Michael Franzese. If you’re not familiar with him, Michael grew up in a mafia family. His father was high up in the one of the crime families and Michael joined when he became an adult. Michael has since left that life and is now a Christian. He has written several books describing that life and how he was saved.
In this most recent interview I heard with him, Michael described the lifestyle and how he became a part of it. Michael said you don’t just decide to join the mafia. Someone within the family has to recommend you for membership. He was proposed by his father. His father wanted him to be a doctor and he was attending medical school, but when his father got into some legal trouble, Michael wanted to drop out of school and join in order to help him. Michael said his father recommended him as a member.
At that point he was brought before his boss and asked him, “Do you want to become a member of our lifestyle?” Michael answered yes. The boss then told Michael:
From now on, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, you are called to serve this family. That means if your mother is sick and dying and you are at her bedside, if we call you, you leave your mother and come serve us. From now on we are number one in your life before anything and everything.
After that, he went through a two-year recruitment phase, though it could last longer. When they thought he was ready, Michael was then initiated into the mafia. He was brought before the mafia boss one night where swore an allegiance to the crime family. The boss told him:
Tonight, you are born again into a new life into this family. If you violate what you know about this life and violate your brothers, you will be killed. Do you accept this?
And he did.
I think you probably heard some things in that story that sounded familiar. I thought it was interesting that Michael was told he was born again in that family. Jesus said that if we want eternal life, we must be born again into him. Michael was also told that the crime family had to come first, even before his natural family. It didn’t matter if his mother was on her deathbed, if he were called to do something he had to leave he and do it. Jesus wants to be first in our lives. In Luke 9, after Peter declared that Jesus was God’s Messiah, we read:
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:23-26)
Jesus says that if we want to live for him, we must die to ourselves. Again, the world understands that in order to say yes to something we have to say no to other things.
After a concert, renowned pianist Paderewski was told by an admiring fan, “Sir, you are a genius,” to which he responded, “Madam, before I was a genius, I was a drudge.” His genius came through death – that is, it came through hard work and self-denial. He had to say no to the many things we would have enjoyed doing in order to become a concert pianist.
The famous runner Jim Ryun, who set a record for the mile when he was eighteen years old, said about his training:
I would run until I felt I couldn’t take another step, then I would run until I felt my lungs were going to burst. When I came to that state, then I would run until I thought I was going to pass out. When I did this, I was making progress.
The same principle is true in every area of life including academics and marriage. We must say no to other things in order to say yes to that which matters the most.
George Müller was a German preacher who moved to England where he opened an orphanage after seeing the needs of homeless children in the city. Müller had and still has a large impact because of his life of faith, prayer, and action. Near the end of his life when someone asked him, “What has been the secret of your life?” Müller hung his head and said, “There was a day when I died.” Then he bent lower and said:
Died to George Müller, his opinions, preferences, tastes, and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame even of brethren or friends.
Jesus calls us to die. Jesus isn’t calling us to a physical cross but as Müller said, to die to our selves and our desires that we might live for him.
Jesus used the example of a seed. As long as the seed stays in the seed packet it’s not worth much. It is only after the seed is planted in the ground and dies that it is able to grow and produce an abundant crop.
The spiritual life is governed by similar paradoxes.
[God’s] power is made perfect in [our] weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Do we want to be rich? We must become poor in spirit. Do we want to be first? We must be willing to be last.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (1 Peter 5:6)
If we want to rule, we have to serve. If we want to live, we have to die. To see Jesus, we must die to ourselves that we might live for him. By dying to this life, we discover eternal life. As commentator Warren Wiersbe wrote:
There can be no glory without suffering, no fruitful life without death, no victory without surrender.
The proper sequence is this: obedience — death — life. This is the only way it works.
Just as the first two verses of our passage were an introduction, the last two verses are a conclusion where Jesus gives a warning.
35 Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.” (John 12:35-36)
Their time of opportunity was limited. Jesus had come into the world as a light to show them the way to God. However, the days of his public ministry were almost over. The darkness of night was coming when evil powers would hold sway over people. It would be best to make a decision for him while he was with them and it was still light.
There are lots of people today who want to see Jesus, they just aren’t ready to see him as he really is. There are many who want eternal life but aren’t many who are ready to die. Jesus is God who came in the flesh to die for our sins and he now calls us to die to ourselves that we might truly live in him.