John 12:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"We wish to see Jesus." Philip comes to Andrew, as to one older than himself, and tells him this. But Andrew also does not decide this on his own, since he had already heard: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles" (Mt 10:5). Therefore, after speaking with Philip, he brings the matter with him to the Teacher. Both of them told Him about it.

When the report about Jesus reached them, they approached Philip and asked him to give them the possibility of seeing Jesus.

Without knowing it, the Pharisees spoke the truth in the words, “Behold, the whole world has gone after Him,” Jn 12:19. Not only Jews, but also Gentiles were to believe. Therefore the coming of the Greeks to Him then took place as a kind of firstfruits. As Galileans, the Greeks “came to Philip,” since he himself was a Galilean, so that he might show them Jesus. They wished to see Him because they had heard the good report about Him, which had spread far and wide. They wished to worship Him and receive what they desired. Therefore the coming of the Greeks to Him then took place as a kind of firstfruits. As Galileans, the Greeks came to Philip, since he himself was a Galilean, so that he might show them Jesus, whom they desired to see.

Behold, the Jews seek to kill Him, while the Gentiles seek to see Him. Yet among the Jews there were also those who cried out: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!” Jn 12:13. Some from the circumcision, others from the uncircumcision, like two waves rushing toward one another, come together into one faith in Christ with the kiss of peace. Let us hear what the Lord answered to this. See, the Jews wanted to kill Him, while the Gentiles wanted to see Him. Yet among the Jews there were also those who cried: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!” Jn 12:13. And now we, some from the circumcised and others from the uncircumcised, have approached from two sides like the walls of a house. Joined by the kiss of peace into the one faith of Christ, let us hear the voice of the cornerstone.

Earthly soldiers became heavenly angels, mortals became immortals, and those who walk on earth became those who rejoice in heaven: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!” They abhorred the Pharisees and turned away from the chief priests. They sang angel-like praise, gladdened nature, sanctified the air, stirred the dead to celebration, opened heaven, unlocked paradise, and kindled like zeal in mortals. For certain Greeks, that is, Gentiles, were moved by the voice fitting to God toward thoughts fitting to God. They were disposed to repentance, and, as we have recently heard, came to one of the Apostles, named Philip, and said to him: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” See how the people’s proclamation moved the Greeks to conversion.

Among the numerous crowds of visitors to Jerusalem gathered for the feast were Gentiles who confessed faith in the true God. At appointed times they came to the temple to offer sacrifices and prayers, probably as proselytes of the gate. Jesus' solemn entry into Jerusalem and His other actions compelled them to pay particular attention to Him. In His word their souls could find satisfaction. They wished to know Him personally, but did not dare approach Him directly. Therefore they asked one of the disciples, Philip, to present them to his Teacher.

After the rather brief account of the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem, the Evangelist John tells of the desire of certain Greeks, pagans who had accepted the Jewish faith, to see Jesus. These Greeks had evidently already been greatly prepared for faith in Jesus Christ by accounts of His miracles and teaching. They had also heard of the hopes that the people placed in Him. Now, when they saw the reception that the people gave the Lord, their faith was kindled still more. They desired to draw near to Jesus Christ and personally express their faith before Him. This is how their desire to see Jesus must be understood, on the basis of Jesus Christ’s discourse. In it He reveals His insight that these Greeks are representatives of the pagan world turning toward salvation.

They could have seen Jesus without Philip's mediation. If they turned to him with such a request, it means that they wanted to come nearer to Him and speak with Him. They wanted to be presented to Him.

When the disgraceful bustle of trade ceased, the temple again took on its usual appearance. The suffering came to Christ, and He healed them. Listeners pressed upon Him by the hundreds, marveling at His teaching and eagerly catching every word from His mouth. Among the other listeners, certain Greeks drew attention. Interested by the discourse and by reports about the extraordinary preacher, they even wanted to speak with Him personally. This was reported through the Apostle Andrew. According to tradition, they were envoys from Abgar V, king of Edessa. Having heard of Christ’s extraordinary works and of the danger threatening Him from the leaders of the Jewish people, Abgar offered Him refuge in his dominions.

They came and so forth. The Evangelist does not say when or where this happened. The Evangelist Luke says that in these last days of His earthly life the Lord taught by day in the temple, while He spent the nights on the Mount of Olives. The people came to Him in the temple early in the morning to hear Him, Lk 21:37-38. It is therefore probable that the Greeks came to Philip with their request in the temple, that is, in one of the courts or porches of the temple. There is no precise data to determine exactly when this happened. They came to Philip and so forth. The Evangelist adds that Philip was from Bethsaida of Galilee. Does this indicate why the Greeks turned to Philip rather than to the others? Were these Greeks from the region of the Decapolis, cf.

Verses 20-22. John sets forth as a special event that the Greeks wished to see Jesus. Who were these Greeks? They were not Hellenists, or Jews living among pagans. Such people, of course, would have approached Jesus freely, together with the Palestinian Hebrews. In St. John, “in Greek” means in the Greek language, Jn 19:20. Thus these Greeks were Greeks, but, as St. John says, they “came up to worship at the feast,” verse 20. They were the so-called σεβομενοι ελληνες, God-fearing Greeks, Acts 17:4, or σεβομενοι προσηλιται, God-fearing proselytes, Acts 13:43. They were those among the pagan Greeks who, having understood the emptiness and falsehood of idolatry, accepted the Jewish belief in the one true God.

Why, some ask, did they turn to Philip? The conjecture is not groundless that the Apostle, who bore the purely Greek name Philip, especially attracted the Greeks. First, they expected to find in him someone half akin to them, and perhaps someone who spoke Greek. It may well be that the Apostle who bore a Greek name was brought up in a family to which the Greek language and customs were not foreign. Perhaps that family even had Greek relatives. The Greeks who had come to Jerusalem did not dare appear before the Lord’s face without first asking His permission. But Philip too did not dare speak of this to the Lord without consulting the first-called Apostle Andrew. Andrew may have been the oldest in years among the Lord’s disciples.