AFTER THE FEAST WHAT NEXT? (2)

“²⁰Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. ²¹Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus. ²²Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. ²³But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. ²⁴Most 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. ²⁵He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶If 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. ²⁷“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify Your name.” (John 12:20-27 NKJV)

Being part of a great festival such as the just concluded CRM World Congress can be very spiritually exhilarating to the extent that people may want to consider it as an end in itself. Usually God grants us opportunities of such gatherings to ignite in us the quest for deep intimacy with Him. Great as our experience at the Congress was, there is still more God want us to know and experience of Him. We were given unique opportunities to experience the goodness of God so that we can become hungry for more. People who went out of the congress satisfied with what they have received are grossly mistaken.  There is more! This is the time to draw closer to Christ so you can get more of Him and from Him. 

The congress marked the beginning of a transformational journey with God and in God for each of us. Wisdom demands that we make the most of the opportunity. This was what the Greeks of our text did.

The visitors from Greece approached Philip to arrange for a meeting with Jesus privately, outside of the clutter of the feast. They have seen Him at the feast, but only from afar while He ministered to the congregation. They enjoyed listening to His message and experienced the wave of glory that came in the sequel. They enjoyed the exuberance of the corporate worship and power of group praying.  They saw the miracles and the excitement they generated in the crowd. They enjoyed every bit of what they saw, heard and experience in the feast. Notwithstanding all those, they still wanted something more –a personal touch of Christ. They desired a close-up meeting with Him so they could feel His heartbeat and discuss personal matters with Him. They went to Philip, who seems to be our Lord’s PR guy and made a simple but very profound request –“Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

Why were they the only people who went to Jesus while all the others have been invited too? The answer is not farfetched. They were thirsty for more.  Our Lord have given out the invitation, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37 NKJV). Some people are satisfied with too little. Some are desirous for more of Jesus. Our Lord has inexhaustible resource of refreshing blessings for any person who cares to have more. Not only the Greeks were invited, the Jews also as well as the rest of the people. But only the Greeks came for more and the Lord had declared, “The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37 NJKV).

When they got to Jesus, He opened His heart to them and shared some deep personal issues with them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.” How could they have known this if not that they were hungry for more. Hunger will take you to a place in God where nothing else can. He unravelled to them the secret of fruitfulness in life and ministry “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.”  There is a depth of mystery that God want to lead you into but cannot because of your lack of hunger for more. Whatever blessing, or revelation, or impartation, or wisdom, you have received, from the Lord much more is still waiting to be received by those who can put a legitimate demand on them by their hunger for more.

Our Lord went ahead to reveal to them His desire for His followers, “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”. He wants us to be where He is! The implication of this is confounding. Being where He is affords us the intimacy with the Father that He enjoys. It affords that power and authority that He controls and bequeaths to us the glory and honour He shares with the Father. We can desire for more!

May the Lord deepen your hunger for more of Him in Jesus name!