Shortly after the Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, there were two Gentiles who wished to have a conference with Him. Being in a place where Gentiles were not expected or welcomed, they asked one of His disciples if they could see Him. We read of this in John chapter 12 beginning in verse 21, where they ask Philip, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Perhaps they asked Philip because his name was Greek in origin. We only know Philip took their request first to Andrew and the pair approached Jesus together.
Both Philip and Andrew knew Jesus’ plan thus far was a mission to the lost sheep of Israel. However, they did not recognize the Lord’s reference to “other sheep” (John 10:16) as being the Gentiles. Verse 23 indicates Jesus answered them, but we are not sure who He answered. It is not possible to know if the two Greeks were granted access to the Lord. This is one of the earliest indications of interest on the part of Gentiles in the teachings of Jesus. This interest by non-Jews would continue in Cornelius and eventually salvation would come to multitudes of people.
Jesus answered that the hour had come that the Son of Man should be glorified. He uses an analogy of a grain of wheat to indicate He must die in order to be glorified, and later indicated He was troubled over His approaching death. He was troubled to the point of asking if He should inquire of the Father to spare Him from the agony of death (John 12:27). The struggle our Lord faced was overcome when He resisted the desire to petition for deliverance. Instead, he petitioned the Father to glorify His name, showing His desire was to honor the Father. At this point, a voice came from the sky, the voice of the Father. Only two other times in the New Testament has the Father audibly spoke from heaven: when Jesus was baptized (Matt. 3) and on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17). The Father’s voice was so robust that some standing by thought it was thunder when He answered, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
For the elders, Tony Williams