Page 53 - Living Light Spring 2024

Monday April 29 - We would like to see Jesus
“Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. John 12:21-22
“Sir, we would like to see Jesus” was engraved in glass above the pulpit of the church in London in which I trained. It was a useful reminder to any preacher that the focus should always be on Jesus and certainly not on ourselves! Perhaps all of us should have that verse engraved on our hearts. Imagine the impact if everyone we met ended up seeing Jesus!
What a wonderful request to be given! The Greeks may have approached Philip because he was probably himself a Greek speaker (Philip is a Greek name). Perhaps unsure whether Jesus is available for casual callers, he finds Andrew and together they approach their master. We are not told whether in fact the Greeks ever see Jesus. The story quickly moves on.
According to the 2022 ‘Talking Jesus’ research over half the UK population know a churchgoer and 33% (one in three) want to know more about Jesus. The opportunities to share our faith are there! Most won’t ask us the question that the Greeks asked Philip but they will be interested in what we believe and why. They will want to know why we believe that Jesus is who we say he is, and what difference Jesus makes to our lives. The challenge for us is whether we can provide them with an answer!
Lord Jesus, please help me to have the courage to speak to others about you and the wisdom to respond well to their questions. Amen.
Tuesday April 30 - The hour has come
Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”
John 12:23
It feels as though we have missed a crucial part of the story here. Philip and Andrew have told Jesus about the Greeks, and now Jesus starts talking about the ‘hour coming for the Son of Man to be glorified’. What is going on? In Chapter 2 of John’s gospel, Jesus is at a wedding feast and, in response to his mother’s request for help with the wine, replies “my hour has not yet come” (v 4). Jesus is a spiritual timekeeper. He knows the rhythms of God’s purposes and acts accordingly.
The Greeks’ request to see Jesus is the sign that the purpose of Jesus’ ministry – the salvation of all humankind through the mystery of the cross – is now approaching its climax. Having preached and performed miracles in the villages of his own people, Jesus’ ministry is now reaching out to the non-Jews. This is the point at which the gospel becomes global.
And yet, as Jesus will go on to explain, the hour of glorification that is ahead will come about through the apparent disaster of the cross. When I think of Jesus being glorified my mind immediately turns to his resurrection and ascension into heaven, but Jesus reminds us here that the path of glory is the path to his crucifixion. For those of us who follow Jesus this is a sobering reminder that God’s glory is often found in the toughest of circumstances.
Gracious Lord, may I see your glory in my life even when times feel tough. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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