It starts with a request.
Sir, we want to see Jesus.
Some Greeks had come to the festival, outsiders drawn toward the hope and power they sensed, somehow having heard of this rabbi from Galilee. Not sure how to reach him directly, they found Philip, one of Jesus’ disciples. Philip then went to Andrew, and together, they brought the request to Jesus.
It’s a small but beautiful picture of how people come to Christ. Some have a direct path; others need a guide. These Greeks weren’t part of the inner circle, but they were seeking. And Jesus’ followers did the necessary work—receiving the request, discussing it, and then leading them to him.
I don’t know how many are actively walking around asking to see Jesus these days, but I daresay that many people are looking for him, perhaps without even knowing his name.
We see this pattern all over the gospels. People bring others to Jesus. A parent intercedes for their child. Friends lower a man through a roof. A blind beggar calls out until someone listens. And here, some Greeks ask, and the disciples make it happen.
It’s easy to overlook the significance of this. So much of all this is about simply making a way for others to encounter Jesus. Receiving their questions, not dismissing their curiosity, taking them seriously, and walking with them toward the truth. (And certainly not dismissing them because we don’t understand them.)
There’s something deeply hopeful about this moment in John’s gospel. Jesus is about to say that his hour has come. The cross looms large. But here, before that, people are still seeking him. The nations are coming. And his followers are doing the work to make the introduction.
John 12:20-22
Some Greeks were among those who had come up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and made a request: “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” Philip told Andrew, and Andrew and Philip told Jesus.
Psalm 27:7-8
Lord, listen to my voice when I cry out—have mercy on me and answer me!
Come, my heart says, seek God’s face. Lord, I do seek your face!
Prayer
God,
Make me attentive to those who are seeking. Let me not overlook their questions or dismiss their searching. Give me the recognition to listen, to recognize the opportunity, and to respond.
Give me the faith to believe that you are always drawing people to yourself. Help me to be part of that movement. Teach me to bear witness to your goodness, to embody your grace, and to open doors instead of closing them. May my life be a pathway for others to encounter you.
By your Spirit & in Christ,
Amen.