To See Jesus

The memory verse in Sunday School today was "Thou shalt call His name JESUS." based on Matthew 1:21. The whole verse reads "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." (NKJV)  Further verses reveal the pursuit of the Wise Men from the East to find and worship the One who had been born King of the Jews. This pursuit lead them first to Jerusalem, and then to Bethlehem. When they finally found the One they were truly looking for, the immediate response was "they fell down and worshiped Him." Matthew 2:11 (NKJV)

The sermon preached from the pulpit today was from the passage in John 12:20-26, "Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honour."

The speaker related the story of Jim Elliot whose life was lost in the jungles of Ecuador to emphasize this point of dying to self.  Having his life taken by the tribal people whom he was trying to reach with the gospel of Christ, Jim Elliot may have been called a fool by world's standards but he was in pursuit of a higher calling.  He was serving His Lord and Master.

Wish to see Jesus?  "Let him follow Me, and where I am, there My servant will be also."

Having found Him? "They fell down and worshiped Him."