We Would See Jesus - lesson 1.3

Lesson Details

September 15, 2024

Series 1: Jesus, Our Savior

We Would See Jesus

lesson 1.3

FOCUS VERSES

John 12:44–45

44 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.

45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

Note that the feast in questions was the passover

LESSON TEXT

John 12:20–23, 34–45

TRUTH ABOUT GOD

God shows Himself to those who seek Him.

TRUTH FOR MY LIFE

I will recognize who Jesus is and believe on Him.

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TEACHING OUTLINE

Icebreaker: What is one of the most amazing sights you have ever seen, whether a natural wonder or human-made?

Lesson Connection: Share the Lesson Connection.

I. THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY

A. The People Worshiped with Palms and Coats

» In what ways do we sometimes try to fit Jesus into the box we want Him to fill even if it is not necessarily His will?

B. The Disciples and Pharisees Both Missed the Prophetic

» Why do you think both the disciples and the Pharisees missed seeing what Jesus’ purpose really was?

II. JESUS TAUGHT ON HIS PASSION

A. The Greeks Wanted to See Jesus

» What is the difference between seeing Jesus move from a distance and having a face-to-face encounter with Him?

B. The Voice from Heaven

C. Jesus Made His Passion Clear

» How does walking in the light play out in practical terms in daily life?

III. BELIEF AND UNBELIEF

A. Despite Many Miracles, Many Did Not Believe

B. Some Chief Rulers Believed but Did Not Confess Jesus

» Peer pressure is natural, but how can we overcome it when it holds us back from pleasing God?

C. I Will Recognize Who Jesus Is and Believe on Him

Internalizing the Message

Lesson Connection

Helen Keller was not born deaf and blind. For nineteen months she was able to hear and see. Then an illness almost took her life, and when the fever suddenly broke, it became apparent it had taken her hearing and sight instead. In her autobiography, The Story of My Life, Keller wrote:

I fancy I still have confused recollections of that illness. I especially remember the tenderness with which my mother tried to soothe me in my waking hours of fret and pain, and the agony and bewilderment with which I awoke after a tossing half sleep, and turned my eyes, so dry and hot, to the wall, away from the once-loved light, which came to me dim and yet more dim each day. But, except for these fleeting memories, if, indeed, they be memories, it all seems very unreal, like a nightmare. Gradually I got used to the silence and darkness that surrounded me and forgot that it had ever been different, until she came—my teacher—who was to set my spirit free.

As a toddler, Helen realized other people spoke to one another using their mouths, but she could not. Sometimes she was so frustrated, she would kick her nurse or family members and scream until she was exhausted. Once when she spilled water on her apron, she spread it directly over the coals in the fire to dry it, and it ended up engulfed in flames. Her old nurse, Viny, quickly smothered the flames, saving Helen’s life. Helen later learned how to lock doors and took delight in locking her mother in the pantry for three hours while Helen sat on the porch, laughing at the vibrations of her mother’s pounding on the door. Things came to a head, however, when Helen found her newborn sister, Mildred, in the cradle normally reserved for Helen’s favorite doll. Helen overturned the cradle in anger. Her mother caught Mildred out of the air before she could hit the floor, possibly saving her life.

As Keller later wrote, “Thus it is that when we walk in the valley of twofold solitude we know little of the tender affections that grow out of endearing words and actions and companionship.” Helen Keller needed someone to intervene in her life. She needed someone who could draw back the darkness and bring light back into her world.

As Jesus walked this earth, one of His most frequent miracles was opening blind eyes. When Jesus first stood up to read the Scriptures in the synagogue, He read directly from Isaiah 61, but with one notable addition: “recovering of sight to the blind” (Luke 4:18). When John the Baptist had a crisis of faith and sent some of his disciples to ask Jesus if He was really the Messiah, Jesus told them to tell John that the blind received their sight. Like Helen Keller, since the fall of man, the majority of people have gotten used to the silence and darkness and have forgotten it could ever be different. Spiritual blindness afflicts our world, and it is destroying relationships and lives. If we really want to regain our sight, we must begin with the desire to see Jesus.

Ref. Isa 61:

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me;

Because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek;

He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives,

And the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

Recall that it is in Nazareth when Jesus was in his home town that he reads this

Bible Lesson

I. THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY

A. The People Worshiped with Palms and Coats

The clock was ticking down on Jesus’ last hours before His crucifixion. No one seemed to understand that in about forty-eight hours, Jesus would be nailed to a cross. When they saw Jesus, they saw only what they wanted to see. As Jesus approached Jerusalem, crowds of people thronged the roadside. They shimmied up palm trees and broke off palm fronds, waving them or using them to garland the roadway. They shouted, “Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord” (John 12:13). As Jesus passed by, the adoring crowds took off their cloaks and spread them out like a red carpet ahead of Him. When they saw Jesus approaching Jerusalem, they did not see a suffering servant who had come to save them from their sins, but a Messiah who would cast off the Roman yoke and reestablish the free kingdom of David.

In what ways do we sometimes try to fit Jesus into the box we want Him to fill even if it is not necessarily His will?

We typically pray for things that we want rather than the will of God; we see Jesus as a genie in a bottle rather than the almighty God

Whatever their expectations of Jesus, we should not miss or discount the beauty of their worship. These Jewish peasants, who had so little to give, offered Jesus what they could. Let’s follow their lead and worship Jesus with whatever we have today. If we have breath in our lungs, we can sing and shout praise. If we have an instrument to play, we should play it, realizing we are playing for the King of kings. Let’s offer our worship freely to the King.

B. The Disciples and Pharisees Both Missed the Prophetic

Jesus’ choice to arrive in Jerusalem on a donkey instead of riding in a chariot should have been a clue to all. He was fulfilling Zechariah 9:9 which reads: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”

John specifically stated the disciples missed the significance of this act. “These things understood not his disciples at the first” (John 12:16). Zechariah’s prophecy went on to speak about the real purpose of Jesus’ arrival. The coming King would bring peace, take dominion, and bring a New Covenant. By His blood, Jesus would introduce a New Covenant to bring all who believe on Him out of the barren pit of sin. The people lining the roads and even the disciples were in far more grievous slavery than the Roman Empire ever imposed; they were prisoners of the devil’s kingdom, but Jesus had come to set them free. As Jesus said in John 12:31: “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” That was the real reason why Jesus was riding into Jerusalem.

The Pharisees missed the significance too. These scholars were blinded by their own selfish ambitions. They huddled together on the edge of the celebration saying, “Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him” (John 12:19). They saw Jesus not as a coming king or a suffering Savior, but as a threat to their position and power.

Why do you think both the disciples and the Pharisees missed seeing what Jesus’ purpose really was?

Once again, we see a people having a preconceived notion of how things should really be. The disciples probably didn’t understand why they had to go get a donkey in the first place. Maybe, they thought Jesus deserved better than a donkey. We know from Scripture, that Peter thought Jesus deserved better than the death of the cross and was willing to lay down his life for His King - however, that wasn’t in God’s perfect plan. We are often like Peter - desiring to serve God but with a plan that is formed from our flesh rather than His Spirit.

The Pharisees made the Kingdom about position and power. When you are blinded by ambition, it’s hard to see what God’s trying to show you in the here and now.

II. JESUS TAUGHT ON HIS PASSION

A. The Greeks Wanted to See Jesus

Other Gospels describe Jesus’ actions following His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. He went to the Temple and cleansed it of moneychangers and merchants. The children worshiped Him, and He rebuked the chief priests and scribes. But John did not focus on any of these events. Instead, he highlighted a brief interaction with some Greek believers who had come to worship at the Passover Feast.

Most likely these Greeks were proselytes—Gentiles who discovered faith in Jehovah and converted to Judaism to get closer to God. Still, they would have been regarded as second-class citizens—Jewish by choice, not by ancestry. They did not dare push through the crowd and approach Jesus directly; instead they found Philip, one of the apostles, and made a humble request. “Sir, we would see Jesus” (John 12:21). They wanted to have a face-to-face encounter with Jesus.

What is the difference between seeing Jesus move from a distance and having a face-to-face encounter with Him?

One will leave you changed, however, the former will be just an experience that fades away over time

How often do we come to church and simply see Jesus the way many in the crowd did? We see Him moving on others. We see Him filling others with the Holy Ghost. We see Him working miracles, His power falling, and the altars filling. But it is a whole different experience when we purpose in our hearts by faith to really see Jesus—to have a one-on-one experience with Him where He talks with us directly. That is a life changer. Are you content to watch from the fringes of the crowd while others touch Jesus and get their miracles? Or is faith rising up in your heart that says, “I want to see Jesus”?

Jesus did not push them away because they were not full-blooded Jews. “And Jesus answered them” (John 12:23). When you want to connect with Jesus, Jesus will answer you. Jesus began to delve into teaching with those Greeks about His passion. He told them His hour was come—it was necessary for Him to be buried like a grain of wheat and die so He could bring forth much fruit. And Jesus called them to follow His example. (See John 12:25–26.) Jesus even shared His innermost conflict. (See John 12:27.) What a conversation these Greeks had with Jesus because of their simple request.

B. The Voice from Heaven

Simply speaking with Jesus face-to-face would have been enough. But as Jesus concluded by requesting that the Father glorify His name, a voice came from heaven saying, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again” (John 12:28). Those who were standing by when this happened had varied reactions. Some said it was thundering. Others said an angel spoke with Jesus. Perhaps some were more spiritually attuned than others. While some tried to explain away this supernatural occurrence, others placed spiritual significance on it. Even then, they attributed it to an angel rather than the voice of God Himself.

But this was a further step in allowing the disciples, the Greek believers, and anyone else around to see Jesus more clearly. Being God incarnate, Jesus did not need to hear a voice from Heaven. As He said, “This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes” (John 12:30). In these last hours before His death, Jesus was determined the believers would see Him clearly and see what His purpose was.

C. Jesus Made His Passion Clear

The countdown to the cross continued. Jesus knew His time was short, but many of His followers, including the apostles, still did not really see what His passion was. So with the thunder of God’s voice still echoing in their ears, Jesus took the opportunity to clearly state His passion: “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die” (John 12:32–33).

Yet even as Jesus made His mission and destiny explicit, the people failed to grasp the concept. They read prophecies they wanted to read—that the Messiah would live forever—but they missed the part where He had to die and rise again first. They were allowing their preconceived ideas to cloud their vision.

We often fail to see the death portion of Christianity. We forget so quickly that Jesus said that we need to take up our cross and follow Him (Matt 10:38; 16:24)

Jesus ended with a final admonition to walk in the light and believe in the light so they could be children of the light. Otherwise they would walk in darkness without direction (John 12:35–36). The same holds true for us today. The danger of walking in darkness is not the darkness in and of itself. No one smashes a toe on darkness or falls and breaks a bone on darkness. But darkness means the absence of light, and we cannot see where there is no light. When we cannot see, we cannot avoid the dangers in our path. That is why Jesus was so desperate for His followers to see. As Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). It is imperative that we see Jesus; He is our light.

How does walking in the light play out in practical terms in daily life?

III. BELIEF AND UNBELIEF

A. Despite Many Miracles, Many Did Not Believe

After all this—the triumphal entry, the Greeks’ visit, the voice from heaven, Jesus’ sharing His passion, and all the miracles He had worked—John 12:37 tells us: “They believed not on him.” In Isaiah 6:10, the prophet Isaiah had foretold this response: “He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them” (John 12:40).

B. Some Chief Rulers Believed but Did Not Confess Jesus

Some chief rulers saw Jesus’ miracles and believed in Jesus, yet they refused to confess Him. They were secret followers, perhaps like Nicodemus who came to Jesus by night, unwilling to step out into the light and be counted among Jesus’ disciples. John gave this simple reason for their reluctance to acknowledge Jesus: “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:43). What could possibly be more valuable than the praise of God?

What about us? How often do we allow others’ opinions to influence our actions? How often do we hold back from stepping out in faith or sharing our faith because we fear losing popularity? Would you rather please God or men?

Peer pressure is natural, but how can we overcome it when it holds us back from pleasing God?

C. I Will Recognize Who Jesus Is and Believe on Him

Jesus came so we all could know Him. He does not place impossible obstacles in our way so only a select few enlightened people can see Him. John 12 ends with Jesus literally crying out a message. Perhaps He cried this message in the Temple or maybe just to His disciples that night while He hid Himself away from the unbelieving Jews. But His words show equal parts passion and sadness. (Read John 12:44–50.)

It is easy to read about the Jews’ unbelief and shake our heads at their blindness. Jesus was right in front of them doing miracles and teaching them the truth, yet they closed their eyes in willful blindness, denying the proof right in front of them. Yet don’t we do the same? We all have seen miracles. In fact, if we are saved today, we are walking, talking miracles. If Jesus also set us free from an addiction, or healed our body, or saved our marriage, or provided bill money when we did not know where it was coming from, He has worked wonders in our lives. Every one of us has to make a decision every day. It is the same decision the Jews had to make when they were face-to-face with Jesus: will I see or be blind; will I believe or not believe?

Internalizing the Message

Helen Keller’s life forever changed the day her teacher, Anne Sullivan, arrived. Keller vividly remembered that day, March 3, 1887, three months before her seventh birthday.

“Have you ever been at sea in a dense fog, when it seemed as if a tangible white darkness shut you in, and the great ship, tense and anxious, groped her way toward the shore with plummet and sounding-line, and you waited with beating heart for something to happen? I was like that ship before my education began, only I was without compass or sounding-line, and had no way of knowing how near the harbour was. ‘Light! give me light!’ was the wordless cry of my soul, and the light of love shone on me in that very hour.

“I felt approaching footsteps. I stretched out my hand as I supposed to my mother. Some one took it, and I was caught up and held close in the arms of her who had come to reveal all things to me, and, more than all things else, to love me.”

The change was not immediate. Anne Sullivan patiently worked with Helen, and over time and with intention, Anne Sullivan taught Helen words and phrases until Helen Keller was able to communicate with her and others. Now many memorable quotes such as, “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched—they must be felt with the heart” have come from Helen Keller’s heart, much thanks to the patient and loving hands of Anne Sullivan.

Like Helen Keller with the arrival of Anne Sullivan, the life of every believer has a dramatic watershed moment. It is the moment Jesus arrives, pulls us into His arms, picks up the broken pieces, and opens our eyes to see Him. We feel repentance and sorrow at first, but then our world begins to blossom with love and new life. And it all begins with the same heartfelt request we read in John 12: “We would see Jesus.”