In the name of Christ Jesus, dear fellow redeemed people of God,

Have you ever seen or met someone famous? There is a big difference between seeing someone famous and meeting them. I have seen many famous people from afar, including Presidents of the United States and famous athletes. Some I have seen up close. But I have met very few. I am sure that none of the famous people I have seen would remember me, but at least one famous person I have met still knows who I am. A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to have lunch privately with legendary radio broadcaster Ernie Harwell. We talked for quite a long time at a nice restaurant. A few months ago, I found out that Ernie remembers who I am, and asked about me. Now, if I had only seen him from afar, he would not even know who I am. But because we became acquainted, he at least knows who I am. My point is not that we are close friends. My point is that there is a big difference between seeing someone from afar, and actually getting to know them a little. And that is very true when it comes to Jesus. There were some Greeks who wanted to see Jesus. But as we read through today's Gospel, we learn that...

1. LEARN WHAT IT MEANS TO SERVE HIM

What do you think of when you hear the words, "mission work."? Do you think of a pastor in a distant land? Do you think of someone going door to door? Does it seem like hard work? Sometimes mission work can be difficult. But sometimes mission work is easy. It would be relatively easy if someone came up to you and said, "Can you help me learn more about Jesus?" You know what you would do or say, don't you? That actually happened to Philip. Some Greeks came up to Philip and said, "Sir, we would like to see Jesus."

What does it mean that they wanted to "see Jesus."? Did they just want to catch a glimpse of him, or did they want to meet him, to become acquainted with him, to get to know him better? We are not expressly told that they got to meet Jesus, but we assume that they did. In and of itself, though, seeing Jesus was not enough. There were many people who saw Jesus and didn't believe in him. Seeing is not believing! The Jewish leaders saw Jesus, but didn't believe. Herod saw Jesus, but didn't believe. Pilate saw Jesus, but didn't believe. It is not enough to just "see Jesus."

Jesus wants us to get to know him better. He wants us to learn more about him. He wants us to believe in him. And he wants us to serve him. But what does it mean to serve Jesus? Learn what it means from Jesus himself. It is not as easy as some might think. Some people apparently think that serving Jesus is pretty easy. You just do a little something here, and do a little something there, and the rest of your life is yours! That is a distorted view. Actually, Jesus wants us to dedicate our whole lives to serving him in the very stations in life where God has placed us. He wants us to serve him as children, as fathers and mothers, as single people, as employers or employees, as citizens and church members. He wants us to serve him, right where we are. And the reason why we want to serve is because he served us first. We love him, because he first loved us. We serve him, because he first served us.

Our Lord Jesus said, "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mt 20:28). Jesus served us by dying on the cross to pay for our sins. That wasn't easy. If you have been here on Wednesday evenings, listening to God's Word, you know what agony it was for Jesus to serve us.

Now, listen to what Jesus said about serving him. {25} "The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." If you are only living for yourself, so that you think and act as though your life is your own, you have missed our Savior's point. As Christians, we must not live for ourselves, but for Christ! God's Word says, "You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" (1 Cor 6:19-20). Again it says, "He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again" (2 Cor 5:15). We should live for Christ who saved us!

He said, {26} "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." Not everyone serves Christ. Unbelievers don't want to. Only a believer would actually want to serve Christ. But believers, how well are you serving and following your Savior?

We want to welcome and invite people to learn about Jesus, but sometimes we just don't. We want to care more about others, but we fall short. We want to encourage someone, but we fail. We set out to pray for them, but forget to. When we do pray, our mind wanders. When we are in God's house, we daydream too much. We want to give more generous offerings, but can't overcome selfishness. We want to serve in a specific area, and even promise we'll do it, but then we get lazy and it doesn't get done. We should be joyful, but too often we are down in the dumps, complaining again. If someone picks us up with a well-placed word, we quickly become proud. Soon, we are walking on cloud nine, forgetting to pray, praise and thank God! How mission-minded is a proud person? How caring is a proud person? Is a proud person a humble servant? Certainly not! Are you proud? If you think you are not proud, it means that you are very proud indeed. You are proud of how humble you think you are, then. Oh, how we fall short. We may want to be faithful servants of Christ, but we fall far short of perfection. We need a Savior. And Jesus came to be that Savior. All people need to...

2. LEARN WHY HE CAME

I hope that you know why he came. Jesus came to die. He knew that he was going to die for our sins. {23} Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. {24} I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." Jesus was hinting at his upcoming death. He spoke these words only a few short days before he died on the cross.

What if you knew that you would die in three days? Would you be afraid? Would you be sad? This is what Jesus said, {27} "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour." Jesus knew that he was going to die, and yet he says, "it was for this very reason I came to this hour." Jesus came to die on the cross for us! He came to rescue us from sin, death and the power of the devil! He came to undo what Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden.

Then Jesus becomes even more specific. {32} "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." {33} He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die." Jesus is talking about being lifted up on the cross. He knew how he was going to die. He would be "lifted up from the earth." Last week, we heard this from the Gospel. In John chapter three, Jesus said, "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life" (John 3:14?15). Picture that bronze snake on a pole. Jesus said that's how he was going to be "lifted up." And here he said he would be "lifted up" to indicate "the kind of death he was going to die."

Jesus knew exactly what was happening. He knew why he came. He said that he came "for this very reason." He came to redeem us. He came to live for us the perfect life of service to his heavenly Father. Unlike us, Jesus did measure up as the perfect servant. He obeyed all of God's commandments for us. Then, Jesus went to the cross where he was "lifted up" just like that bronze snake. Jesus paid for our sins on that cross. He died and rose from death. And now whoever believes in him will live in heaven forever. That's why Jesus came. He came to redeem us, so that by faith in him, we would escape hell and enjoy heaven forever. Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved!

Jesus came to rescue us. This past week, there were many news reports of how our special operations soldiers put their own lives in danger to go and rescue captured Private Jessica Lynch. She wasn't able to get out on her own. She was injured and in need of help. They put their lives on the line to bring her out. But that was nothing compared to our Savior's rescue mission. Our situation was far worse. We would have perished forever in hell. But Jesus came and put his life on the line to rescue us. He defeated our enemy, the devil. He paid for our sins on the cross. And he has promised heaven to all who believe. Serve and follow this Savior! He is our Rescuer! He came on a rescue mission. At great personal cost, he did rescue us.

Don't be satisfied with what you know of Jesus today. Get to know him better. He knows you perfectly! Learn more about Jesus, by spending time with his Word. Grow in knowledge and appreciation of why Jesus came and what Jesus did. Follow him by faith, and you will live forever. And as you follow him, invite others to come along with you. May our Lord increase our faith, and increase the number of those who believe. Amen.