At His birth, Gentiles came from the east; now at His death, Gentiles come once again. Why does John mention them at this point? Because the King has now been rejected by Israel. The Jews had said, “We want to see a sign!” (Matthew 12:38); but the Gentiles said, “We want to see Jesus!” The Jews wanted Jesus to serve them through restoring the majesty that was once theirs before the Roman occupation. However, Jesus is not interested in reclaiming nationalistic honor, Jesus is after bigger game – the freedom of spiritual rebels from the wrath of a holy God. It is at this point of Jewish rejection that the apostle John begins to record that Gentiles were seeking Jesus. Why now? Why THIS moment and what does Jesus say to them, a people with either no or limited exposure to Jewish history? Could it be that whatever Jesus says to these Gentiles, we need to consider carefully today? This is what we will consider as we examine John 12:20-33.
About Dan Miller
Pastor Dan was part of the core group that started Grace Fellowship in 2003. Pastor Dan is our primary teaching pastor, leads the staff, and oversees the vision and strategy for our disciplemaking philosophy of ministry. Dan married Vicki in 1993. Together, they enjoy their seven children – Benjamin (married to Courtney), David, Alexa, Zachary (married to Ginna), Nathan, Ana, and Autumn, along with one grandchild - Lucy.
Leave a Reply