Open the Word: The hour has come

• The people of Israel celebrated three major religious festivals during the year (Exodus 23.14—17; Leviticus 23 — Passover/Unleavened Bread, Pentecost/Harvest, Tabernacles/Day of Atonement). How much is our Christian faith known for joy and celebration? What sense of celebration do people experience in church?

• In the heaving maelstrom of the Passover crowd, outsiders appear. We are simply informed they were ‘Greeks’. Educated and respectful, but outsiders and Gentiles, with no place in the festival and perhaps in the eyes of some, no reason to be there. Who they were — we don’t know. Why they wanted to see Jesus — we don’t know. All we know is they wanted to see him. When do our celebrations draw people in to enquire about our faith? How open are we to those outside? What welcome do we give them? What characteristics of our lives would allow someone to recognise us in the crowd as those who belong to Jesus?

• The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified (v. 23). It is easy to imagine the disciples hearing these words and thinking the kingdom is at hand; an earthly kingdom of power and authority. The people are calling for him and the Gentiles wish to see him. Is it unfair to imagine that, in the coming kingdom, the disciples also see themselves receiving their glory? What rewards do we expect to receive through following Jesus? Who would not be forgiven for believing this glory was one of strength and might?

• The disciples’ daydreaming ends abruptly when Jesus begins to speak, not of life and power, but loss and death. This becomes the acid test of faith. Apart from the ultimate experience of our personal physical death, what lesser deaths are we called to experience in our faith journey? However, the issue here is not about death, but about life. This is the paradox — the way to life is through death. Life is dependent on change, letting go and loss. Henri Nouwen challenges us with his meditation on this passage: how can I die in such a way that it brings most fruit to the world; the church; the community; myself?

• Verse 27 contains dark and poignant words. The human, broken Jesus opens his heart. Is this the Jesus we would wish to show? Who needs to see this Jesus? All who are dealing with the impact of change, loss and death, all who do not know how to respond to the difficulties experienced in life, all who need to know Jesus was there before, still is here with us today and will continue to be with us tomorrow. Who needs to see this Jesus? The world; the church; the broken — we all need to. Verse 28 is the ultimate prayer of faith, hope and love. Dare we repeat it?