We Would like to See Jesus

John 12:20-22 Have you ever wondered why some things are included in the Scriptures? After all there were a multitude of sermons, miracles and experiences that couldn’t be included because of its sheer volume. Why would some Greeks at a feast be important enough to be included? The time is Jesus’ last week of life before the cross. Belief among the gentiles is beginning to bud; and it becomes a signal for Jesus’ coming death. But I believe that there is another important truth that we can glean from these verses. These men approached Philip because he had a Greek name and a very outgoing personality (see John 1:45). The Greeks saw something in Philip that they could identify with and also a snapshot of Jesus in his life that made them want to meet the real person. I see a similar situation in the account of the woman at the well. After her belief in the Jesus as the Messiah was resolved, she ran into the city and attracted a large group of fellow citizens who saw a change in her and because of what they saw in her, they wanted to see this man Jesus for themselves (see John 4:39-42). All that is great but what does that have to do with me? Job one, of course, is to seek to walk so close to Jesus that His character shines though you. So that people can see that you’ve been with Jesus and that He has made a profound change in your life. That character is reflected from a shell, you, that people will be able to identify with and say, “just maybe there is something here for me.” For you it may be your color, your gender, your past experience, your occupation. It really doesn’t matter what the contact point is; but there needs to some aspect of your life that makes you believable and approachable. People who observe you will say, “I really want and need to know this Jesus for myself! There may still be hope for me.”