John 12:20-22 20Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up in order to worship at the feast; 21these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and were asking him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” 22Philip came and spoke to Andrew; Andrew and Philip came and spoke to Jesus.
Jesus and the disciples had entered Jerusalem for Passover week. Many people from all over the Mediterranean region made regular pilgrimages to Jerusalem at that time. The Greeks mentioned in verse 20 were likely Diaspora Jews who spoke Greek and had traveled far to attend the Passover in Jerusalem. It is also possible that these were non-Jews who were God-fearers but had not been circumcised and “officially” become Jews. The temple had a Court of the Gentiles where God-fearing people could go and worship the one true God, but they could not go into the inner area reserved for full Jews.
In either case, their request to see Jesus indicates that they had somehow come to know about Jesus. Word about him had spread far and wide. There were many Greek-speaking people north of Judea, even into Galilee and the Decapolis. There is no specific indication of why they wanted to see Jesus. Their request implies a sharp contrast with the Pharisees who wanted to get rid of Jesus. John’s reference to Greeks here also suggests his interest in the gospel for the whole world. No one is left out of God’s plan of salvation.
Another curiosity about these verses is why the Greeks went to Philip. John states where Philip came from, possibly to indicate his ability to speak Greek. Bethsaida was located in north Galilee. Philip’s name is Greek, so he may have spoken that language, which would have made him a natural conduit for the Greeks who found one of the apostles who knew their language.
The sequence of inquiry is also a question of this passage. Why did Philip not go directly to Jesus but to Andrew? Andrew is also a Greek name, so perhaps Philip thought Andrew might have been able to help in this situation. Jesus had said once that his disciples should go to the Jews and not the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5-6). The disciples may have interpreted this to be a once and for all direction, but Jesus may have intended it for a specific situation and limited time. Together, the two disciples went to Jesus to tell him of the Greeks’ desire to see him.
Although we have limited background in these verses, they present an important sequence for sharing the good news of Jesus. Those from other cultures and languages are interested in learning about Jesus. The connection between them and Jesus is disciples who know the language and culture of these people. Disciples are the bridge between Jesus and the world.
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