Seeing Jesus

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TODAY'S SPECIAL: John 12:12-26

TO CHEW ON: "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.' " John 12:20,21


The scene was a Messiah-seeker's dream. Jesus' good reputation from raising Lazarus had spread so that when He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey (fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9), He was accompanied by an adoring crowd. The significance of this act would not be lost on any Jew in the crowd familiar with Old Testament prophecy. They saw Him as their expected Messiah—a savior from Roman rule.

But now Greeks, proselytes who worshiped with the Jews to the extent they were allowed, came to Philip asking permission to see Jesus too. Jesus' answer to Philip and Andrew is puzzling: "'The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.'" What does that have to do with their request to see Him?

The invitation to see Jesus weaves through John. Jesus first issued it when two disciples met Him for the first time and asked, "'Where do you stay?'"  His answer: "'Come and see'" - John 1:39. Later the same Philip from our story answered Nathanael's question about Jesus: "'Can any good come out of Galilee?'" with "'Come and see'" - John 1:46. Then the Samaritan woman invited her neighbours to check out Jesus with, "'Come, see a Man who told me all things I ever did'" - John 4:29.

The people of Jesus' day saw Him as a human marvel of miracle-working and mind-reading wisdom. As He rode into Jerusalem, they saw Him as their Messiah. However, in our passage today we are ushered into a whole new stage of "seeing' Jesus. The IVP Commentary explains it well:

"When Andrew and Philip announce the coming of the Greeks something wondrous happens. It triggers the moment the reader has been anticipating since the story began: Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified" (v. 23). As with all his cryptic sayings, this response addresses the issue, but it does so in ways incomprehensible at the time. He does not speak directly to the Greeks, but he speaks of their place in his community in the future. For he reveals that it is time for his death to take place, through which a great crop will be produced (v. 24) as he draws all men to himself (v. 32)" - The IVP New Testament Commentary Series  accessed through Biblegateway.com.

Jesus calls his death "'glorification.'" How can death on a cross be considered this?

"It may seem strange to refer to Jesus' death as a glorification. But the death is at the heart of the Son's revelation of the Father, for God is love and love is the laying down of one's life (cf. 1 Jn 4:8; 3:16). So in the cross the heart of God is revealed most clearly" - Ibid.

In this time of our preparation to celebrate Jesus' passion, let's review the significance of these scenes and teachings from Jesus' life and "see" in Him God's love, willing to be sacrificed as a seed so we could have eternal life.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for this image of You as the seed of a God of love, willing to sacrifice Yourself so we could have life. Amen. 

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Seeds of Jesus in the Song of Songs

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Song of Solomon 1:1-2:7

TO CHEW ON: "He brought me to the banqueting house
And His banner over me was love." - Song of Solomon 2:4

"The Song is the best of all songs, a literary work of art and a theological masterpiece," says Donald Pickerill, writer of my Bible's introduction to Song of Solomon. He goes on, "The song itself is like its favourite fruit, pomegranates, alive with color and full of seeds" - Introduction to the Song of Solomon, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 859.

I love the idea of this book being full of seeds. Let's find a few of those seeds—the objects and images which appear here and reappear throughout Scriptures, most within the life of Jesus—in today's reading.

Love  (Song of Solomon 1:2, 4, 7, 9):
- John's words describe the extent to which Jesus loved His disciples: "He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end" - John 13:1. Then John describes Jesus washing the disciples' feet.
- Of course we can't think of love and leave out Paul's great description of love in 1 Corinthians 13.

Fragrance (Song of Solomon 1:3):
Paul talks about our lives, fragrant with the likeness of Christ in 2 Corinthians 2:14:
"Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life. But those on the way to destruction treat us more like the stench from a rotting corpse" - MSG.

Spikenard (Song of Solomon 1:12):
- Mary anointed Jesus with Spikenard - John 12:3

Myrrh (Song of Solomon 1:13):
- The wise men brought myrrh as a gift to the baby Jesus - Matthew 2:11

King (Song of Solomon 1:4, 12):
- Jesus prayed "Your kingdom come" - Matthew 6:9,10
- He talked about His kingdom that was not of this world - John 18:36

Vineyard (Song of Solomon 6:14):
- Jesus said of Himself, "I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant" - John 15:5 (MSG).

Flock (Song of Solomon 1:7,8):
- Jesus described himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10: " I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd risks and lays down His [own] life for the sheep" - John 10:11 (AMP)

Dove (Song of Solomon 1:15):
- The Spirit of God in the form of a dove descended on Jesus at His baptism. It's recorded in Matthew 3:16.

Fruit (Song of Solomon 2:3):
- Jesus spoke often of fruit. He spoke of bearing fruit when he spoke of Himself being the vine. He also mentioned fruit in the parable of the sower - Mark 4:20.

Banquet  (Song of Solomon 2:4):
- We recall that Jesus did His first miracle at a wedding banquet - John 2:1-11
- Of course the word banquet conjures up the picture of the greatest banquet yet to be—the Marriage Supper of the Lamb - Revelation 19:9.

In conclusion, here area  few more words from our Song of Solomon Introduction writer:

"In the Song of Solomon, as in other parts of the Bible, the Garden of Eden, the Promised land, the tabernacle with its Ark of the Covenant, the temple of Solomon, the new heavens and the new earth are all related to Jesus Christ ... The very essence of covenant history and covenant love is reproduced in Him (Luke 24:27; 2 Corinthians 1:20).

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for this beautiful love song that speaks in so many ways of Your relationship with the church, and our relationship with You. Help me to be receptive to Your love, and to return it to the best of my ability.  Amen.

MORE: All My Days by Rita Springer

Rita Springer sings her response to our lovely Jesus. Can we sing along?




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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible,
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

The Seed—a modern parable

Four types of soil

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Mark 4:1-20

TO CHEW ON: " ' Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.' " Mark 4:3

Behold a movie called Jesus was shown at First Church. And many people of the town were gathered in the church gym. As the story of Jesus' birth, teachings, death, and resurrection played on the screen, the seed was scattered on the multitude of them sitting on folding chairs.

After the movie, Pastor Smith invited each to enter the Kingdom of God. He explained how this came to pass by trusting in Jesus' death as the penalty paid for the sins each had committed. He entreated all who would enter to declare it by coming to the front.

There was a woman there, Chantelle, who hardened her heart. She hearkened to the voice of unbelief which said unto her, "This is only a tale."

But Peter, Marissa, and Clyde with a host of others came. Indeed, the multitude was so great, there was not even room for them all to kneel on the carpeted area. Then the members of the prayer team gave each a Bible and sent them on their way.

So Peter, Marissa, Clyde and the others departed, rejoicing over the good news of the Kingdom. And each was eager to grow and bring forth the fruit of this new life.

Peter took his Bible and put it on his bedside table. But in the days that followed, he read it only once. For his friends Troy and Jason, when them came to visit and saw the Bible, made great sport of it.

Lo, they prevailed upon Peter to join them in their revelry as they went to the bar. That night when Peter returned home and saw the Bible, his conscience was pricked and he took it from the table and put it out of his sight under the bed.  After many days when someone from First Church sent him a text message offering him a ride to Youth Group, he never replied.

Marissa too took the Bible home and put it next to her bed. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night she read in it. And the words thereof nurtured the life which had begun the night of the movie.

But on Thursday, wearied by her job, housework, and the demands of her kids, at the appointed hour she was too sleepy to take up the book and read. On the next day, even Friday, she got a babysitter and went with her friends to a movie, not returning home till midnight. "I will take up the book and reading in the morning," she said. But on Saturday at the twelfth hour she was still asleep while her children breakfasted on cereal and chips.

The rest of the weekend continued in like manner with shopping, cleaning, laundry, and TV. Lo on Sunday night, when the fullness of time had come for her to plan her next week, she had still not opened the book.

Behold the next week too was pressed down and overflowing with many things. So her Bible lay untouched. And it came to pass that a few weeks later, when she cleaned an abundance of clutter off her bedside table, she removed the Bible to the bookshelf.

Clyde also took his Bible home. Morning by morning he read in it. When it was again the first day of the week, he prevailed upon his friend Jeffrey to go with him to First Church. There he learned more about Jesus and the Kingdom of God, and his heart was glad and refreshed. "This is good news!" he said. "I cannot keep it to myself."

Immediately he rose and organized a home Bible study where he introduced 30 neighbours to Jesus. Lo  at the appointed time he planned First Church's men's outreach where 60 came. Indeed, so zealous was he that by the time one year had passed, he had brought 100 into the Kingdom.

PRAYER: Dear God, I ask myself, is Your word bearing fruit in my life? And what kind of yield is it achieving? Help me to be more intentional about living a life rich in the fruit of the Kingdom of God. Amen.


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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.