Reading: John 11-12, Psalm 108

Today’s reading is the unexpected plot twist. We begin the story with the death of Lazarus, whose family were supporters and friends of Jesus and his disciples. This famous story contains not only the unexpected resurrection of Lazarus, but the unexpected response of the religious leaders, including a prophecy from the current high priest. Then we get another look at the story of Jesus’ anointing at Bethany, this time with the backstory of Lazarus’ resurrection. We also get an inside look at the mind of Judas, which John appears to have known quite well. From there we go to Jerusalem, where instead of sneaking into town as he did before, Jesus rides into the city like a king. Instead of the rejection of the leaders, we have the acclimation of the people. Then we get the biggest plot twist of all, though we may not see it at first.

Throughout his book, John has been writing about the hour. Jesus talks about the hour which is coming and now is. John tells us that Jesus did not display his power and authority, or allow himself to be arrested, at certain times because his hour had not yet come. The way John says come, coming, and yet come are all oriented towards the future- it is almost like saying the hour is incoming, like a meteorite streaking across the sky. The Greek language has a way of saying this that English kind of punts on. We just say something is past, present, or future. The Greeks were way more creative than that. Anyway. The point is there is this little incident, easy to skip over as we are reading our Bibles, which stands out like a neon sign in Greek. In John 10:23, Jesus says the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. The form of the word come that John uses here, though, changes from all his previous uses, and indicated a new state of affairs. Something momentous has happened. The hour, which was fast approaching like a shooting star, has arrived, and everything has changed.

What happened? Look back a couple of sentences. Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. They go talk to the disciple with the most Greek name. They want to see Jesus. When Jesus hears about it, he says the hour has come. I think two things are happening here. It is intentionally ambiguous that these Greeks were worshiping at a Jewish feast. They may have been Jewish by descent- a part of the exiled community strewn about the empire. Or they might have been wholly non-Jewish people who simply wished to hedge their bets by looking into the Jewish God. The point is, people from foreign nations are beginning to hear about Jesus.

Here is what I think is happening. People from around the Roman Empire are beginning to hear stories. Stories about a man who turns water to wine. Who tells a Samaritan woman everything she ever did. How makes a man blind from birth able to see. Who tells a disabled man by the pool of Bethesda to get up and walk, and he does. Who feeds thousands of people from a few loaves of bread. So they decide to go see this man. When they arrive in Jerusalem they hear another story. An astonishing story. This same man commanded a dead man to live, and he obeyed.

So they come to see Jesus. And Jesus says, Now the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. The mission is accomplished. The world is turned toward Jerusalem, and the time has come for Jesus to do what he came to do. He goes into a dialogue with God, who responds publicly, freaking everyone out. Jesus talks again about how he is not doing anything of his own accord, but in total obedience to the Father.

Why is the arrival of these Greeks such a big deal? Remember that John is writing to the earliest Christians, in a time that it was not at all clear who the gospel was for. Even in the New Testament itself there is significant debate recorded about how Christians were to interact with their Jewish history. I think John is telling this story to inform his readers that Jesus’ mission was for the nations. He has set the leaders, who are afraid that Rome will come and take away our position and our nation, against Jesus, who is here for every nation and who seeks no position. He will be granted all authority in heaven and on earth because he seeks no glory for himself, but only the glory of God. It is a callback to the promise of Genesis 12, in which Abram is called in order that he might be a blessing, and all the families of the earth be blessed through you. It is a callback to Isaiah 49:6, because it is too small a thing for my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob… I will make you a light to the gentiles, that my salvation might reach to the ends of the earth.

As dramatic as the resurrection of Lazarus is, it is the arrival of some curious Greeks that really steals the show in the great drama John is telling us. It is the sign that the gospel of Jesus is for all people in all places at all times. There will be no boundaries in the Kingdom of God, no families left out of the new creation. John wants us to know that anyone may enter through the one door, the one gate, the one way.