Greeks Seek Jesus; His Hour Had Come

When a group of Greek people arrived in Jerusalem during Passover week, they approached the Apostle Philip and asked if he could arrange for them to meet Jesus. Philip was from Bethsaida in Galilee so, perhaps, they had a previous connection to Philip or Bethsaida.

When Philip, with the Apostle Andrew, told Jesus He replied, “The [My] time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the solemn truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself, alone”.

Once again, Jesus referred to himself as the Son of Man, a humble human being and destined to die but what did he mean by the kernel, the seed?

All the seeds in the whole world will remain just seeds unless they are placed in the soil and allowed to grow; when they grow, new plants develop producing new seed, manyfold. Likewise, Jesus was saying that unless He accepts the cup that his Father in Heaven had asked of Him, there would be no resurrection, ascension to Heaven nor the forgiveness of our sins.

Jesus continued, “Now my soul is greatly distressed. And what should I say? Father, deliver me from this hour?… Father, glorify your name”. Jesus, without any hesitation, accepted his Fathers cup, despite the imminent pain, suffering and gruesome death that he would have to endure.

Then a voice came from heaven saying, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again”. The crowd described the voice as having, “… thundered”. Others said, “An angel had spoken to him”. Jesus said, “This voice has not come for my benefit but for yours”.

The voice of God the Father had, once again, echoed among the people, previously they had witnessed it at Jesus’ Baptism, then at his Transfiguration and now, just days prior to his Crucifixion. (John 12:20-36)