We Would See Jesus
Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 2:27-36
The Apostle John records the account of some Greeks coming to Philip to request an audience with Jesus. The KJV translates their request as, “Sir, we would see Jesus.” (John 12:21) Many a pulpit has wisely been adorned with a sign engraved with those words, reminding the preacher of his primary task, helping the listeners to see Jesus.
Over time, my daily Bible reading has become something of an “I would see Jesus” quest. My gut-level instinctive question when reading the Bible is always, “How is this pointing me to Jesus?” When I came to verse 35 while reading 1 Samuel 2, I wondered, “Is this a Messianic promise?” It didn’t take long, with a little research, to discover that, yes, many Bible scholars view this as a Messianic prophecy:
And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever.
In context, God is rebuking Eli for his failures as a priest. His two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, had become a blight on the religious life of Israel. His future line would pay a heavy price for his sins. “All the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men,” was the verdict of God.
But God would raise up a faithful priest, and an obedient priest for whom God would build a sure and enduring house. This was speaking about Jesus. It was a promise about Christ.
This pattern of pointing to Jesus against the backdrop of human failure is repeated throughout Scripture. Kings fail and disappoint. They are condemned and judged for it, but there is a King who will neither fail nor disappoint. The same is true of the priesthood. The same is true of prophets. All men fall short. They all disappoint. None of them live up to the hype.
There is something instructive in the way these Messianic promises upon which we are to rest are always showing up when things are at their worst and men are failing us. The failure of men should be a moment of turning our eyes toward Jesus.
Why, after all, are we so discouraged and disappointed and downcast in heart by the failures of men? Doesn’t our despondency demonstrate that our faith and hope are too attached to people and not the Lord? We sing, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness,” but in reality, we often build our hope on political parties, personalities, and pastors. Their failure, as saddening as it might be, is another opportunity to shift our focus back to where it needs to be and to reestablish a sure foundation for our faith – Jesus Christ.
Our prayer each day should be, “Sir, we would see Jesus.”
