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By Mike Caton

John 12:21, They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.”

Why did these folks come to Philip when they really wanted to see Jesus? There are several possibilities. These events took place in the days leading up to the Passover, there were huge crowds of people in Jerusalem, and there were huge crowds around Jesus. Maybe these guys just couldn’t get that close to the Lord. Maybe Philip was the only one they could get close to. Also, these guys were Greeks not Jews, and so there were areas in the temple they could not go and good pious Jews would not want to be around them anyway. Philip is a Greek name (though he was a Jew), so maybe they felt more comfortable approaching him.

Their request is pretty straightforward and simple: “We would like to see Jesus.” I believe that is what the whole world needs, to simply see Jesus. Far too often we Christians want to find some program, some method, some secret, something different to evangelize the world. And while there is nothing wrong with programs and new methods, what people really need to see is Jesus. They simply need to learn about the God who loves them, who wants a relationship with them, who wants what is best for them, but who also loves them enough to let them choose for themselves. Truly, our biggest hindrance to evangelism is often ourselves. We unconsciously put our thoughts, opinions and likes into the equation. What people really need to see is Jesus!

Think about this today, who would come to you in order to see Jesus? Why would they come to you? We need to live our lives in such a way that Jesus shines through, it is not about us, it is about him. Our lives need to be a light that draws people to Jesus, like a moth to a flame. It is not about me, or even you. It is about showing folks Jesus.

Father, help me shine Jesus today. In his name, amen.

Mike Caton is the preacher at Mount Olive Church of Christ in Belhaven. He volunteers at the Ponzer Fire Department and works part time with Hyde County EMS. If you would like to receive daily devotions in your inbox, email mikecaton@centurylink.net.

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