2021.01.24 Jesus Ignores Another Request...or does he?

Jesus Ignores Another Request … or does he?

How frustrating is it when you ask someone an important question and they don’t know the answer? Even worse … How frustrating is it when you ask someone an important question and they ignore your question completely?!?!

First of all, I’m not going to use the passage from Revelation. I included it, because I wanted you to hear the warning that’s given to the Church that isn’t following Jesus’ answer to these two. If you look closely at the description of the church in Laodicea, I think you’ll probably see some of your own inclinations … I know I do. And then if you keep reading, you’ll see the frightening warning Jesus gives this church. It should be an encouragement to listen closely to what Jesus tells the disciples in the other passage for today.

Jesus is a master at several things, but in his interactions with people he does two things that are almost funny to me when i’m reading about it. If I were the one talking with him, though I think I may be furious about it.

He is great at answering the question that has NOT been asked. Pharisees and lawyers ask very pointed questions and he rarely answers directly. He answers a more important question … seeming to redirect from their focus to teach them that they’re chasing a distraction.

Today’s passage demonstrates another skill of his. At times someone asks him for something, and he just simply keeps moving. Usually, he does address them after they’ve begged or demonstrated great faith in their second request. It’s as if he’s testing to see if they REALLY want to know the answer.

Here, we see the ‘system’ of the apostles in full effect. After the Triumphal Entry, a couple of Greeks see the scene and think, “It’d really be cool to get to sit down with this dude for a little bit.” A few details that may help inform us as we look at Jesus’s response:

They’re called “Greeks”, but no one would’ve been in Jerusalem at Passover “to worship at the festival” if they weren’t Jewish. These are people who have converted to Judaism.

They approach Philip because he is from Bethsaida. Bethsaida is a Greek-oriented city, so they know he’ll understand their language … and may even show favor because they have some things in common (like when I see someone wearing a Louisville shirt up here)

The scene here looks to me like backstage at a concert. I’m a huge Paul McCartney fan, and I would love to have some sort of card to play to get backstage to meet him. This is exactly what these converts are trying to do. They’ve seen the scene of the palms and shouts of “Hosanna!” and they’re trying to weasel their way backstage into the dressing room of the one they saw on stage.

So Philip goes to Andrew (maybe he was Head of Security), and tells them, “It’s okay … they’re with me.” Andrew and Philip go to Jesus and tell him about these dudes who want to see him backstage.

Jesus seems to ignore their request. But if we look at the request and his response, I don’t think he ignored anything!

They’re asking to SEE Jesus.

Jesus responds by telling the apostles that the hour has come that he will be glorified. [EVERYONE WILL SEE ME VERY SOON. The concert is about to start, and I’ll be front-stage, center.]

And he makes a cryptic comment about death and life that we have some grasp of after 2000 years of study and interpretation, but they were likely clueless. “Hey, Andrew … is Jesus blowing us off? Why didn’t he just say, ‘No!’”

Perhaps it’s because he’s actually saying, “Yes!” Then, he tells them (and us) how we can see him.

John 12:26 NASB

26 “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

Let’s turn this statement around. He’s telling them where his servants will be (with him), but he’s also telling them where he’ll be (with his servants). In other words, if you want to see me … gather around those serving me … or better yet … start serving me! If you start serving and following me … I’ll be right there with you. You’ll see me, and far more!

The statement right before this can be a part of “seeing” Jesus, too. “The one who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates his life in this world preserves it for eternal life.”

Is Jesus telling us to hate life? No. He’s telling us to give up our life here for the sake of the life that is to come. It’s not a suicidal innuendo … it’s a call to spend your life here serving him!

Jesus Ignores Another Request … or does he?

So, continuing the analogy ~ These people are asking for a backstage pass. Jesus tells them if they want to go backstage, they need to become a roadie.

If you want to ‘preserve’ your life for eternity … spend the life you’ve been given in pursuit of servanthood. Serve Jesus, and you’ll see him … and the cherry on top is that the Father will honor you.

So…

How do you spend your life?

What do you spend yourself pursuing?

If you’re pursuing things of this world … you just may be running the risk of not “seeing him” here and not being with him over there.

How WILL you spend your life?

What WILL you spend yourself pursuing?