Today, I am reading and commenting on John 12-13.

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Ok, John writes that some Greeks who were among those who went up to worship at the feast approached Philip and requested to see Jesus.  Philip went to Andrew and the two of them went and told Jesus of this request.  I cannot for the life of me understand how that narrative connects with Jesus’ answer.  What does the fact that some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast have to do with Jesus saying that His hour had come?  And, when John writes that they were Greeks, does he mean that they were Greek Gentiles?  Or. just that they were Hellenized Jews?  And why did Philip go to Andrew before telling Jesus?  I mean, after all, what’s the big deal with going to Jesus and saying, “There are some Gentiles who want to meet you?”  My personal opinion, and that of most commentators, is that John was referring to Gentiles.  I would further conclude that the phrasing of their request was intended to imply that they desired to become disciples of Jesus.  Which would explain why Philip did not approach Jesus directly, but instead first went to Andrew.   What I know of first century Judaism suggests that no Jewish Rabbi would take Gentiles as disciples.  And that provides the connection to Jesus’ answer.

Jesus ended His answer to the request of the Greeks by saying that when He was lifted up He would draw all people to Himself.  Clearly, if Gentiles were starting to seek to be His disciples then the day when He would be lifted up must be at hand.  Having announced that His hour had come, Jesus told His followers that He struggled with facing the suffering and death which was about to come upon Him, but that He chose to face it because that end was what His entire ministry had been about.  John writes this to counter those who thought that Jesus’ prayer in the Garden showed that Jesus had a will contrary to the will of the Father which He submitted to the Father’s will.  Rather, John says that Jesus did not want to face pain and suffering any more than we do, but that He nevertheless chose to do so.

Which brings out another theme which John wove throughout this passage.  If we serve Jesus then we are not greater than He.  He chose to serve people by suffering and dying to bring them salvation.  We must be willing to do likewise.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.