Tuesday 6 March 2018

Disappointed Greeks

Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." John 12:20-21
Ever wonder why some details are in the scriptures?
I wonder about these Greeks. I wonder why John includes such detail when it seems disconnected to what comes next. I wonder how long they waited outside the temple for their audience with Jesus when it is clear he never came. I wonder if they were still around when the voice of the Father came from heaven, and how that made them feel.
They had come to the right person at the right time for all the right reasons and yet the door they were expecting to open for them never did.
It must have been disappointing. I think anyone who feels the call of God on their life and has not had it realised the way they expected (and I think that's a pretty broad umbrella!) has had to face and deal with a similar disappointment at some time in their journey.
I hope these men dealt with their disappointment and were among the great multitude of gentiles who turned to the Lord after his resurrection.
You see, Jesus knew there were no short cuts around the cross. Satan tempted him once to receive the gentile nations without going through the cross. He resisted then as he resisted in this instance too.
These gentiles were not overlooked, ignored or excluded. They were in the very heart of God's plan. But before they could enter there had to be a death and resurrection.
The way in is not by asking the right apostle, but through death and resurrection.

[Originally posted to Facebook 26/01/18]

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