“See Jesus”

 A young new pastor was invited to lead Sunday evening worship at senior adult retirement community. She gladly accepted the invitation and began pouring herself in to her sermon preparation. She didn’t want to deliver just a good sermon, but a great sermon. So, she worked very hard getting it ready. The only trouble was that it was the kind of sermon only a seminary graduate would understand. There were a lot of Greek and Hebrew words and “heady” theological references. It was all very sophisticated and very refined.

 Well, on that Sunday evening the residents gathered in the chapel for worship. Some were wheeled in. Others used walkers. A few were even hooked up to I.V.’s. And, as the service started, the pastor began preaching her lofty, sophisticated, deeply theological sermon, when suddenly one of the residents started wheeling her chair out of the chapel, and back to her own room. And, with each push of the wheelchair, the old lady could be heard loudly declaring, “Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah!” Of course, one of the gifts of old age is the freedom to just tell it like it is. Years of seasoning and experiences earn you that.

But, as that chaplain was later reflecting on her experience, she admitted that while she had been trying to preach the greatest sermon of all time, – she had simply failed to help them see Jesus. So, in a sense, that old lady was right! It was nothing more than a whole bunch of “Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah!” The chaplain had been leading them on a crash course in theology when all they really wanted, all they really needed, -- was Jesus!

In John 12, while Jesus and His disciples were in Jerusalem for the Passover, some Greeks approached Philip requesting an audience with the Lord. This takes place at the beginning of Holy Week, shortly after Palm Sunday -- and these Greeks were Gentile worshipers who had come up to celebrate the Passover. And they say to Philip in verse 21, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

Friends, I hope and pray that will be the case for you. Watch Jesus as he eats with the disciples, and washes their feet. Look at him endure the physical pain, emotional anguish, and the spiritual agony of taking on the sins of the world for us and our salvation. See Jesus on Easter Sunday, as he is alive and out amongst his people, making all things new and for all time!  May all of you see and experience Jesus Christ this week.