Many times, we hear people saying I want to see Jesus, or I have seen Jesus. It is natural for those who know and love Jesus, to have this deep longing to SEE Jesus. Among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

In the gospel of John, seeing and hearing are the ways people come to know Jesus, to believe or trust in him, and to recognize his unity and singleness of purpose with the Father. The opening verse of the gospel reading of this Sunday speaks to us about the desire of some Greeks “to see Jesus.”

Zacchaeus also had the desire to see Jesus. 

The encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus, the tax collector, is one of the most loved stories in the Bible. 

We seek Jesus only to find out that He is the one looking for us. As the Good Shepherd, He is willing to leave behind the ninety-nine in order to look for the one who is lost. That is how much He loves us who are lost through our sinfulness.

An encounter with Jesus is transformative. Zacchaeus wanted only to have a glimpse of the man who was always the talk of the town. Yet when he met Him, his life made a 180-degree turn around. He is now a changed person.

What prompts the desire to see Jesus?

The answer would be, spiritual impulse. Man is so made that he desires "to see good," and that, if his soul be really awakened to newness of life, he desires to see the highest and the purest good. As St. Augustine in his confessions said: “our souls are restless until they rest in you, O Lord.”

The Greeks had heard something, perhaps much, of Jesus of Nazareth; in any case they had heard enough to induce them to seek a personal interview and acquaintance with the great Prophet. Basically, the Greeks were the seekers of wisdom and naturally, they must have found something interesting and attractive in Jesus.


What is involved in the desire to see Jesus?

1. A longing for acquaintance with the personal, historical, Divine Savior. 
2. A readiness of faith to find in Jesus all that he declares himself to be. The desire in question is not merely for speculative satisfaction; it is for spiritual enrichment. The soul hopes to see in him a mighty Savior and a gracious Friend.
3. An earnestness, candor, and teachableness of spirit, such as become those who have nothing when they draw near to One who has all.

How does Jesus regard the desire to see him?

1. He is willing to be sought. Never during his ministry did he hide himself from those who really wished to have an encounter with him. He was ever accessible to the needy, to the suffering and sorrowful, to the sinful and penitent.

2. He is ready to befriend and bless and save. Do people ask to see Jesus? His answer is, "Look unto me, and be ye saved."

The Greeks came to Philip, and Philip introduced the strangers to the Lord. He himself could give no satisfaction to the inquirers, but he could lead them to Jesus in whom such satisfaction was to be found. Thus, those who themselves have seen Jesus, and who know him, may point to him whom they know and love, and that is the mission of every Christian believer.