March 18, 2018 Sunday

“Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” (John 12:20-26 NKJV)

            Like most people the Jews had and us and them way of seeing the world.  You were either a Jew or you were a gentile.  A Greek was an even worse form of gentile since it was Greeks who had enslaved Israel until the Maccabean revolt just before the time of Jesus.  Though the Sadducees were a sort of Jewish Greek or some thought they were more Greek Jewish.

            Gentiles who believed in God and sought to grow in their knowledge of God were titled God Fearers.  They were given privileges to be part of certain services and were considered less of an outsider by the Jews.  Sadly a god Fearer couldn’t become a full Jew but their children could.

            These “Greeks” were probably God fearers and also are a reminder of the Wise Men who came to give gifts to honor Jesus as king.  It is interesting that the term used is magi and is the title Daniel was given.

            Jesus has an amazing response to the coming of these Greeks.  You can almost feel the sadness as this sign of what Jesus had to face stood before Him.  For Jesus did not come to offer Himself for just the Jews but for the whole world!  Now as the Greek gentiles came to Him the time was ripe for the death of Jesus to become the seed of life for all people!

            But Jesus reminds us that we also must lay down our lives for God.  We also must give our lives so that others, even our enemies can come to life in Jesus Christ!   We must share to Good News that God fearers can become fully a child of God.

            Are you a God fearer?  Have you gone from a God fearer to become a Christian?  If you are a Christian have you shared this Good News with others?

            The pain grew last night and I was not able to sleep until after 1:30 AM.  Then the hose on my CPAP machine gurgled all night and so I got very little sleep.  I was not able to go to Worship and after more than a week of severe pain I feel terrible.  I listened to the Podcast from First Jeff and I enjoyed Joe Payne’s message for Transfiguration Sunday.