Saturday 12 August 2017
- Bible Book:
- John
“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.’” (vv. 20-21)
Psalm: Psalm 55:16-22
Background
Word about Jesus has now spread beyond the Jewish community, andin verse 20 some Greeks approach the disciples and ask to seeJesus. The gospel message has always been a universal one. Jesususes the opportunity yet again to point out the ways in which hislife upholds prophecies long spoken (verses 33, 38-40). Theprophecies are now more urgent and personal: Jesus is, in effect,saying to his disciples, "I do not have long left here; I am goingto die."
What follows is the clearest sign any sceptics in the area couldask for. In response to Jesus' prayer that God's name be glorified,a voice calls out from the heavens: "I have glorified it, and Iwill glorify it again" (v. 28).
Jesus speaks again of what will happen. But people either don'tget it or are expecting something different to happen (verses 34,37). Amongst the leadership, some are coming to believe in him butnot going public about it (verse 42).
To Ponder
- If someone dear to you told you that they were about to die,how would you react to the news?
- In your opinion, what can churches do to be proactive inwelcoming people from other cultures?