Philip at the Festival

It was a thrill to Philip, one of the twelve, when the Greeks came to him asking to arrange a meeting with Jesus. He had always known Jesus was the Messiah, the Light to all the nations. His friends from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter had known it even before Jesus came to them by the lake, and told them to come and be with him in his travels. His special friend, Nathanael bar Tholmai had speedily realised it when he met the Son of Joseph, the man from Nazareth. Philip had told Nathanael to 'come and see', and now there they were, members of the chosen twelve.

Philip had always believed that seeing was believing. And what things they had seen! That time near their home town when a massive crowd had come to Jesus for him to heal their troubles and to hear what he was saying, and he had asked Philip how they were going to feed them. Feed them? - with five barley loaves and two little fishes, Andrew had asked. But it had happened. And when the thousands of men had wanted to make Jesus their king he had avoided them, turned down the opportunity to be their ruler. Philip's stock answer to people was 'Come and see' - and now here was another great opportunity, with Greeks at the Passover Festival wanting to meet Jesus.

It was a thrilling time. Jesus had been staying back at Bethany with Mary and Martha - and Lazarus, who he had called back alive out of the grave. And the crowds, as Jesus rode his donkey to the city gates, shouting and welcoming him! Jesus had come back next day to the Temple, and turned out all the profiteers with their money and their animals…. That needed doing. Perhaps these Greeks, here at the Jewish festival, had been in the Court of the Gentiles, and seen it all happen. And now they wanted to meet Jesus personally. It would have to be handled discreetly, so Philip consulted with Andrew and they went to ask Jesus.

Jesus' reply came as a shock to them. "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." So the time was past for private meetings? Jesus, the Son of Man, was going to reveal himself fully. The scripture they heard read often in the synagogue spoke of one like a son of man. He 'came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. To him was given dominion and glory and kingdom that all peoples nations and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away and his kingdom one which shall not be destroyed.' Was it the time for that, now? Would Jesus begin to rule the world in his own good way, like a human being and not, as some emperors, like a wild animal? Reign over the Greeks as well as his own people?

But Jesus did not seem triumphant. He was serious, determined, even sad. What would these Greeks learn from him?

"Truly, truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies it bears much fruit."

Philip and Andrew looked at one another. Was Jesus talking about actually dying? Him, dying? Was it the Greeks who would have to die, or Jesus himself? And if that was so, what good could it do, for the Greeks or for anyone? Did he want his disciples to die?

Philip looked around, the crowds of Jews full of excitement, the group of Greeks alive with enthusiasm. Jesus spoke.

"He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

Jesus had always been telling them that, that as his disciples they must put their own wishes, desires, lives even, to one side. He had told them when he sent them out in twos on their own. He had told them when he said the Son of Man must suffer many things, be rejected and be killed - and also be raised from the dead? Self-sacrifice had always been his way of life. Putting others first. Putting the world first.

"If anyone serves me, he must follow me."

Yes, of course, but where is he leading us?

"And where I am, there shall my servant be."

The group of disciples looked at one another.

"If anyone serves me, the Father will honour him."

Yes, eternal life he had said. We can tell the Greeks that, 'if anyone serves me, the Father will honour him.' Jesus was speaking very seriously. The Father's opinion was what mattered. And Jesus had just been speaking of the seed first dying in the earth, before the fruit came. Jesus was facing his own death.

"Now is my soul troubled."

"And shall I say, Father, save me from this hour?"

"No, for this purpose I have come to this hour."

Jesus had been speaking almost to himself, but now he was speaking out. "Father, glorify thy name!"

The crowd heard a sound like thunder. Peter and John and James exchanged glances. They had heard a sound like this, a voice, on that mountain when they had been with Jesus and his appearance changed. Andrew thought back to the time by the River Jordan when Jesus of all people had been baptised, there was a voice then. What had this voice now just said? "I have glorified my Name, and I will glorify it again."

Someone in the crowd was saying an angel had spoken to Jesus.

"That was not a message to me" said Jesus.

There was a hubbub of discussion among the crowd.

"It was a message for you."

Philip and the others looked thoughtfully at Jesus. No, he did not need a voice from the sky. He had always been confident in his Father. He had taught them to pray to the Father in heaven. It was the same as when he prayed for his Father to hear him about Lazarus. He was praying aloud so the people would know it actually was the Father doing things, answering Jesus' request. Now the Father had acknowledged Jesus again. It was the crisis, the Son of Man was being publicly honoured, the Father's action was being put on display.

"The time has come for the world to be judged. It's ruler is to be cast out."

Philip asked himself, what if they do kill Jesus? Crucify him? What will it mean? With a surge of rage and despair he thought, it will be the death of the best man who ever lived. It will be victory for his self-seeking enemies and their methods. It will be the victory of evil over good. Jesus had told them about his temptation three years ago in the wilderness, to follow Satan's ways in the world. But all this was proving that Satan was right, that his methods were successful. Or was Jesus submitting of his free will, for his own reason? He would die.

To look at the Master, he was in control. Troubled, yes, but he understood what was happening.

"When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself."

The crowd seemed partly to understand. But they did not want a temporary Messiah who was going to die. They were shouting out objections. Jesus did not fit their ideas. Who was he really claiming to be? If he was 'lifted up', that would surely be the end for him. How could he draw everybody to himself? Everybody? Some of them wanted to believe him, but they did not know what to think.

"The light is with you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you. If you walk in the dark, you do not know where you are going."

Jesus knows where he is going, thought Philip. He's like a seed being buried in the earth — and he's being lifted up for all to see - and he's a light that is going out.

"While you have the light, believe in the light."

"So that you may become sons of light."

The disciples gazed at Jesus. The crowd burst into frantic discussion, some were angry threatening action, some puzzled. Some believing. A little group of Greeks were discussing how, if Jesus was drawing all men to himself, did they come into it. Sons of light? What did that mean?

And suddenly Jesus had gone. He had once more evaded the crowds, for his time had not come yet. Not quite. Philip and Andrew and Nathanael and Peter and the other Galileans followed after him, at a little distance, fearful, apprehensive, but determined to be loyal to him, and sure that Jesus knew what he was doing. While they had the Light with them, they would believe in the Light….