The Feast of the Holy Cross | 14.09.2025 | John 12:20-33 | David H. Brooks |

John 12:20-33
²⁰Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. ²¹So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” ²²Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. ²³And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

²⁷“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” ²⁹The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” ³⁰Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. ³¹Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. ³²And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

 English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles

 LIFTED UP

 Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

“Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

Does this request sound odd to you? We, who have heard this story many times, may not recognize how this question might land on the disciples, with Philip being the initial Johnny-on-the-spot.

But what would you do or say if someone came up to you and said “sir/madam, I wish to see Jesus?” Would that be a weird question to ask of you, and if so, why? Is that a question you would expect?

Perhaps Philip’s behavior seems more sensible to you, for you might do the very same thing he did. “You want to see Jesus? Err….hold on…” and you go and ask someone else, passing that buck as fast as you can, right?

Now, I admit that there is a difference. Jesus is physically available to Philip and company in a way he is not to us. But would it surprise you if part of the mood of this moment is some version of “who are these Greeks and what could they possibly want with or from Jesus?” After all, the disciples (and, overwhelmingly, the crowds) are all Jews, and their interest in and focus on Jesus the Rabbi arose out of Jewish concerns. Jesus is at work during a time of great ferment: deep spiritual struggles; economic disruption; tribes of people on the move; political upheaval. Projected onto Jesus was the desire for a military general, a spiritual reformer, a political leader—for the Jewish nation.

What could these Greeks possibly want with him?

The request works its way up the chain to Jesus, and seems—if that is possible—to disturb, even alarm the Lord. “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified,” he declares.

This request from persons outside the land of Judah seems to refocus Jesus—a sort of snap of the head moment because of something sliding into place, or perhaps of something suddenly uncovered, revealed. From this moment, the path the Lord will take leads him to the crisis of sin, death and evil that he alone can and must face. His words in response to the disciple’s report point to this looming crisis: the necessity of seeds falling to the ground and dying before they bear fruit; the necessity of losing one’s own life — even hating one’s life — as the hard price of discipleship; the necessity to doggedly follow him, no matter what.

Whatever it may be—a shift or an unveiling—Jesus speaks with authority about what awaits him, what is coming. He is solemn, yet unbowed. His obedient resolve is answered with the confirming voice of the Father, the voice that spoke over him both at his baptism and as he was transfigured. With the voice still echoing, Jesus declares that the time of the world’s judgment is at hand, and with it the defeat of “the ruler of this world,” and then, for good measure, he declares “if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.” John, with hindsight, points out that this was a tip-off as to what kind of death he was to experience.

And, in time, Jesus will be lifted up. There will be suffering. There will be death.

There will be a cross.

And the drawing to himself of all people continues to this day.

I hope you noticed that my description of that period of history during which Jesus walked in the flesh is like our own. We live in a land, a world, a time where there deep spiritual struggles; economic disruption; tribes of people on the move; political upheaval. We are/will be tempted to focus inward, or to look for political or military solutions for our problems, or to think that we as the Church can have Jesus for our own private spirituality. What is worse, there are many out in the world that are just as eager for us to think that way, for us to ignore those who, finding themselves attracted by Jesus, ask us for help in seeing him.

But this congregation, out of deep conviction, long prayer and firm confidence in God, sensed the movement of the Holy Spirit and chose to turn outward toward the world. We did so because Jesus, high and lifted up, drew us to himself. Christ has brought us to this moment! So let us us continue to lift up the cross of Christ, to proclaim Christ crucified, to learn the more excellent way of Jesus, to ask our Lord to conform us to himself,  that we might find new and creative ways to bless neighbors, strengthen communities, share gifts and learn how to be church wherever we are, so that we might be prepared when that moment comes and someone we do not expect approaches us and says, please—I wish to see Jesus.

In the name of the Father, and of the +Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

©David H. Brooks

Pr.Dave.Brooks@zoho.com

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Durham, NC USA