We Want To See Jesus (a Palm Sunday sermon)

In this sermon, our pastor, Ian Forest-Jones, described how in the midst of the story of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry is a moment easy to miss, where some Greeks desire to see Jesus. This story implores us to take seriously two questions: would you see Jesus and would souls seeking Jesus come to you?

This sermon was delivered on Sunday, 24 March 2024.

There is a story told of a new pastor entering the sanctuary on his first Sunday.[1] There on the pulpit was a sign quoting from the Scriptures: “Sir, we would see Jesus” (Jn 12:21).[2]

The next week, as the pastor approached the pulpit, the sign had been changed to quote another scripture: “Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord” (Jn 20:20).

Clearly, it seems, this congregation was pleased with their new pastor’s preaching!

The Setting of This Text

Our reading from The Gospel of John describes another story in which the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. It describes what we now commemorate each year as Palm Sunday. This is an important story. We know this is so because the story is recounted in all four of the gospels.

Our reading then has us focussing on the first in a week of important stories from Jesus’ life.

Jesus Had Returned to Jerusalem to Die

That week began with Jesus returning to Jerusalem. To return to Jerusalem was dangerous for Jesus. He knew this and his disciples knew this (cf. Jn 11:16).  According to the gospels,[3] Jesus predicted three times what would happen to him at Jerusalem. Therefore, Jesus returned to Jerusalem knowing he was going to die there.

The Triumphal Entry

Even though Jesus had predicted his death and explained the reasons for such to his disciples, they could still only see his return to Jerusalem as a triumph —which it was, just not in the way they understood. This is why we refer to this story as The Triumphal Entry.

The disciples celebrated Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem by placing their cloaks on the road in front of the donkey on which he travelled, waved palm branches, and shouted their praise for Jesus. At such a display, the crowds travelling the same road into Jerusalem joined in their jubilation.

Thousands of Jews Gathered for Passover

And there were thousands travelling that same road into Jerusalem. Jews from the surrounding regions were making their way to that great city for the annual Passover feast, a holy day commemorating the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, specifically the passing over of their firstborn males when the Egyptians were struck with the last of ten plagues.

Additionally, the stories about Jesus’ teaching and miracles, especially his raising of Lazarus, were circulating (Jn 12:17). With Jesus on that road, the air would certainly have been electric with anticipation and celebration. Though Passover was a week away at the moment of Jesus’ triumphal entry, the eruption of the disciples’ praise would easily have started a chorus of joy.

The Greeks and Their Desire

In the midst of the story of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry is an aside, a moment easy to miss if one is not paying attention. In the midst of Jesus’ symbolic actions and prediction of his crucifixion is the mention of the desire of some Greeks to see Jesus.

Often preachers have us ask ourselves: which of the characters in this story do you most identify with?  No one is likely to think “the Greeks”, yet all of us gathered here today are the beneficiaries more of these Greeks than of the disciples or the Jewish crowd. Let us turn our attention to their story and what we can learn from them.

The Heart Cry of All People

“Now some Greeks were among them”

Now some Greeks were among those who went up to worship at the festival.

John 12:20

Of all the thousands of residents of and visitors to Jerusalem at the start of that week, we are provided this seemingly insignificant detail: some Greeks were among them. Most readers overlook this detail or care very little for it but John thought this was important enough to include.

We would do well to pay attention and ask: what can we learn about and from these Greeks? We learn from them the heart cry of all people, races and nations is to know the only true God and the One he has sent —Christ Jesus (Jn 17:3).  “The lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt 10:6; 15:24) were the primary target audience but even those from a country far away felt their “hearts strangely warmed” by the person, teaching and ministry of Jesus.[4]

A Few Gentiles at the Passover

Being Greek, this puts these characters in the category of “Gentiles”, basically meaning they were not Jewish. Being not Jewish is important for the biblical story but it is not a criticism in any way.

We are also informed by John these Greeks were among those who went up to worship. So they were in Jerusalem for the Passover festival. They knew enough about the Jewish religion that they joined in the celebration, even though the event it commemorated was not part of their history, at least not directly.

That they were in Jerusalem to worship tells us they were converts to the Jewish religion, at least in part.  They were classified as “God-fearers”, they longed to know God.

This is surprising because even then Greek history was filled with a rich tradition of philosophy and religion. When Paul the apostle travelled through Athens, a major Greek city, he found statues honouring philosophers and temples dedicated to a wide range of gods (Ac 17:16ff). The only conclusion we can come to is that their historical philosophies and religions had failed them.

John’s description tells us these Greeks now sought God through the Jewish religion, through its Scriptures and its worship. They either knew the Jewish religion to be true and more satisfying or they had been told so and were now checking it out for themselves.

Either way, these Greeks longed to know God and travelled all this way seeking him (cf. Heb 11:6).  They were acting on their heart’s cry.

Along the way to the Passover, they would have heard the stories about Jesus.

Perhaps these Greeks were intrigued by the descriptions of his miracles:

• Healing Miracles: Jesus healed people with a wide range of ailments, including leprosy, blindness, paralysis, and fever (e.g., Jn 9:1-12; Mk 2:1-12).
• Exorcisms: Jesus cast out demons from individuals, thereby demonstrating authority over evil spirits (e.g., Mk 5:1-20; 9:17-29).
• Nature Miracles: Jesus demonstrated control over nature, such as calming a storm (Mk 4:35-41), walking on water (Mt 14:22-33), and turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana (Jn 2:1-11).
• Resurrections: Jesus brought people back to life, including the raising of Lazarus (Jn 11:1-44), the daughter of Jairus (Mk 5:35-43), and the widow’s son at Nain (Lk 7:11-17).
• Multiplication of Resources: Jesus miraculously multiplied small quantities of food to feed large crowds, as in the feeding of the 5,000 (Mt 14:13-21) and the feeding of the 4,000 (Mt 15:32-39).
• Other Miracles: Jesus’ life and ministry included other unique events such as his transfiguration (Mt 17:1-9) and causing a fig tree to wither (Mt 21:18-22).

These miracles are signs of Jesus’ divine authority and his compassion for humanity, and therefore both affirm his teachings and demonstrate his power over physical and spiritual realms. Is it any wonder these Greeks were intrigued by the descriptions of his miracles?

Perhaps they were curious about how Jesus could speak with authority:

• Sermon on the Mount: In his Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7), Jesus taught on various aspects of life and faith with authority, offering a new interpretation of the Law that surprised his audience. In his recounting, Matthew commented on the crowd’s reaction, noting Jesus taught as one having authority, unlike their teachers of the law (Mt 7:28-29).
• Teaching in the Synagogue: In Mark 1:21-22, Jesus taught in the synagogue at Capernaum and the people are astonished at his teaching because he taught as one who has authority, not as the religious leaders.
• Casting out an Unclean Spirit: In the same event, Jesus commanded an unclean spirit to come out of a man. Those who witness it were amazed and questioned what new doctrine this was, for he commanded even the unclean spirits obeyed him (Mk 1:23-27).
• Forgiving Sins: In Mark 2:5-12, Jesus forgave the sin of a paralysed man before healing him. This act caused controversy among some religious leaders present, who questioned inwardly how Jesus can forgive sin, which only God can do. Jesus asserted his authority to forgive sins by performing the visible miracle of healing as evidence.
• The Great Commission: In Matthew 28:18-20, after his resurrection, Jesus told his disciples that “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” He then commissioned them to go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them and teaching them to obey everything he has commanded.
• Teaching about His Own Authority: In John 10:18, speaking about his life, Jesus said, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

These examples demonstrate Jesus’ authority was recognised in his teachings, his control over evil spirits, his power to heal and forgive sins, and his command over life and death. His authority was seen as coming directly from God, setting him apart from other teachers and leaders of his time. Is it any wonder these Greeks were curious about how Jesus spoke with authority?

Intrigued and curious, these Greeks wanted to see Jesus, thinking he might enlighten them. They reveal the heart cry of all people is to know the only true God and the One he has sent. All people need Christ because all have sinned (Rom 3:23) —this is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance because all can be saved by faith in Him (Rom 10:9-10, 13).

The Heart Cry of All Who Seek Relief Through Religious Ceremony

Despite their rich and varied history of philosophy and religion, the heart cry of these Greeks remained unsatisfied. As Passover approached, they were still seeking. They were seeking for Truth and for God in the worship of their Jewish neighbours.

There Are Millions in Churches Like Them

The sad fact is that even today there are millions in churches who are just like these Greeks. There are people who have been baptised but remain lost. There are people who have taken Communion but remain lost. There are people who have joined churches but remain lost.

They are seeking relief to their heart cry through religious ceremony.

Eternal Life Is Not Given Through Religious Ritual

But eternal life is not given through religious ritual. The rituals and liturgy are merely forms of worship, and we do not worship the forms; we worship God. The forms of our ritual and liturgy are means to an end.

Yet it is so very easy to turn our attention to the forms of ritual and liturgy as if they are the ends because that is so much easier. It is easy to feel our heart stirred by a song. It is easy to find rest in a prayer. It is easy to find insight in a sermon. It is fun to clap and dance and sing. These are fleeting moments, but eternal life is not given through religious ritual.

Not by the Will of the Flesh or of Man

Neither is eternal life given by the will of the flesh:

But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:12–13

Drawing on the imagery of childbirth, Jesus declared one is not born a “child of God” through the decision nor any other action of one’s parents. Therefore, eternal life is not secured by anyone on anyone else’s behalf.

Similarly, eternal life is not taken nor claimed by one’s own will. There is nothing we can do to earn eternal life for ourselves.

Only Jesus Saves

Eternal life is not given by religious ritual, nor secured for others, nor claimed by oneself. Only Jesus saves!  Eternal life is a free gift of grace:

But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name

John 1:12

Yes, eternal life requires our belief in who Jesus is and our acceptance of what he has done for us.  It is a gift offered and we receive it by believing it has been offered and believing in the one who makes the offer. We cannot have eternal life any other way.

It is the heart cry of all people to know the only true God and the One he has sent, yet how pitiful are we if do not receive him because we rested easy in the momentary pleasures of religious ritual, or relied on the efforts of others, or simply took eternal life for granted, as if we naturally deserve it and therefore claim it.

The Greeks John described in his recounting of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry knew this to be true:

Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Hebrews 11:6

These Greeks began their faith journey seeking God in their historical philosophies and religions, then in the ritual worship of the Jews, but their heart cry was only satisfied when they found Jesus.

The Heart Cry of All Who Seek Reality in the Lives of Christians

How did these Greeks find Jesus, if not through their philosophies and the Jewish religion? They sought the satisfaction of their heart cry in the reality they witnessed in the lives of Christians.

These Greeks Came to Philip With Their Request

So they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested of him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”

John 12:21

We do not know the status of those from whom these Greeks heard the stories about Jesus, but we do know they went to Philip with their request to see Jesus.

It was certainly a reasonable request. If Jesus is who he said he is and that what is written about him is true, then we should all want to see Jesus.

Of course, Jesus was an important person, surrounded by his disciples and the crowd. It would have likely been hard for these Greeks to get close enough to Jesus to ask him for some of his time. They needed an intermediary, a go-between.

In our day, people want to see Jesus but, of course, this is impossible, except in very rare and extraordinary circumstances. If we cannot see Jesus directly, in-person, then it is natural and reasonable to rely on the next best thing: to go to those close to him, those who are the friends of Jesus.

These Greeks then approached those who were obviously close to Jesus but why did they approach Philip and not any of the other disciples?

The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell us nothing about Philip but they always mention him fifth in the list of disciples[5] —does this reflect a hierarchy among the disciples?[6] Perhaps.  Notwithstanding, it is only John’s gospel that describes Philip as a disciple of any significance.

Following his own call, Philip played a role in the calling of Nathaniel (Jn 1:43-51). Perhaps as a test, Jesus later asked Philip where they might find food to feed a multitude when they were near his hometown of Bethsaida (Jn 6:5-7). On the night of Jesus’ arrest, Philip asked Jesus to reveal the Father to them (Jn 14:8-9).

These few stories in The Gospel of John do not really tell us much about Philip except that he was not very ‘high on the pecking order’. So why did these Greeks approach him specifically.

The obvious answer is that along with Andrew, Philip was one of only two disciples who had Greek names. That would certainly have made him easier to approach, providing a natural talking point, something that was common between these Greeks and Philip.

The same might be asked of every Christian: why would anyone approach us to find out more about Jesus?

You will only approach someone who looks like you, talks like you, shares a common interest or vocation with you, someone who looks friendly and approachable. This is natural and reasonable.

Are people approaching you to find out more about Jesus. If so, why? If not, why not?

The world wants to see Jesus through his friends. The friends of Jesus should be easy to spot and should be approachable, which we will be if the fruit of the Spirit is observable in us (Gal 5:22-23a).

We must face up to this responsibility, which, in the first place, means seeking and developing the fruit of the Spirit —being love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control— and developing these for the sake of others as much as for our own sake. These characteristics will make us naturally approachable.

The next point in meeting this responsibility is to be available where people can approach you. After all, Jesus said,

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16

If you are a friend of Jesus, then you need to be not only approachable but available.  So, are you spending time with those who are not yet believers?  Are you sharing your interests, your time, your resources in the service of the lost, the last, the least and the lonely?  You cannot be approached if you are not available and people will not see Jesus in you if they cannot see you at all.

The heart cry of all people is to know the only true God and the One he has sent —Christ Jesus. That heart cry will not be satisfied in religious ritual, although our rituals and liturgy help us to worship God. That heart cry will only be satisfied as we see the truth of God and the goodness of Jesus in the reality of the lives of those who claim to be Jesus’ friends.

Conclusion

The story of these Greeks is easy to miss and to ignore but, clearly, John the apostle thought it was important to record. This story implores us to take seriously two questions:

Would you see Jesus?

He is revealed in the Bible. The whole of the Christian scriptures are a unified story leading to Jesus. Those writings carry the imprimatur of the Holy Spirit. They declare Jesus is who he said he is and what is written about him is true.

Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus invites you to trust him and to receive eternal life.

The second question is: Would souls seeking Jesus come to you?

Which is to say that your life reflects what is true and good about the news of Christ Jesus, and that your life reflects what is beautiful about following a Christian lifestyle. The fruit of the Spirit blossoms in your life and your faith steps of reading the Bible, praying, and sharing your journey are leading to new and deeper insights and virtuous life choices.

If all this is true of you then let your light shine where there are souls seeking Jesus. Be approachable and available because your family, friends, and neighbours are not likely to find Jesus any other way.

If you can answer either of these questions in the affirmative, then let this affirmation of faith be your prayer:

Let us think on Jesus the Lord:
instead of the joy meant for him,
he endured the cross,
ignoring its disgrace.

We worship you, Lord,
on the way to the cross.

O Jesus Christ, the King of glory,
born in humility to confound the proud
and to raise the humble,
you became the poor workman of Nazareth
to teach us true wealth:

We worship you, Lord,
on the way to the cross.

You went among us, doing good,
proclaiming the good news to the poor
and freedom to the prisoners:

We worship you, Lord,
on the way to the cross.

You came to loose the chains
of every slavery,
friend of the humble,
bread of hungry souls,
healer of the sick:

We worship you, Lord,
on the way to the cross.

Jesus, pattern of patience and goodness,
prophet of the kingdom of God;
gentle and humble of heart,
forgiving all who loved much,
and calling the weary and the burdened:

We worship you, Lord,
on the way to the cross.

Jesus, you came into the world
to serve and to lay down your life;
you had nowhere to lay your head;
you were betrayed for money,
dragged before Pilate,
and nailed to the cross:

We worship you, Lord.

Jesus, Lord of all the worlds
by your resurrection from the dead,
alive forever to intercede
with your God and ours:

We worship you.[7]

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[1]This sermon is adapted from an outline provided by Roger F. Campbell, Preach for a Year (Grand Rapids, MI, USA: Kregel Publications, 1988–), pg 93.

[2]Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are taken from The Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN, USA: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017).

[3]See Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19.

[4]John Wesley, The Journal of John Wesley.

[5]See Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:14-19; Luke 6:13-15; Ac 1:13.

[6]The fact that when the Greeks approached Philip and he then took their request to Andrew also suggests a hierarchy, an informal one if not formal (John 12:22).

[7]Adapted from Terry Falla, “Jesus Our Lord”, Be Our Freedom Lord, second edition (Adelaide, SA, AUS: Open Book Publishers, 1994), pg 318-319.