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. 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 12:20-26, NRSV)
I love this passage…
The Greeks come to the festival and see the disciples, or Philip and ask to see Jesus. Philip told Andrew, and the two of them went to tell jesus the Greeks who came to the festival want to see Him.
Then Jesus says ““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”
I can imagine Philip and Andrew standing there, did you hear the question or the request. What you said is nice and all but what about the Greeks?
Jesus just side-stepped the question/request and turned this into a teaching moment about serving God.
It is as if Jesus is saying, “It doesn’t matter if the Greeks want to see me, they need to see God and follow Him.”
So follow God and not your own desire.
aSacredRebel 